Family
by tvfan22
Summary: Anthony was raised to be a ruthless, souless, killer. What happens when he has to make the biggest decision of his life to protect the parents he never knew. Tiva!Bad summary. Please give it a shot.
1. Chapter 1

Family

A/N: this is my newest fic. It's about halfway done already. I'll update when I can but life is pretty hectic.

Disclaimer: nope. Can't say I own it.

Prologue

All my life, I've had a family. Not a real one but one nonetheless. As time went by, my family has died. I have trained them, I have worked with them, and I have killed some of them myself. But I know there's more. I know I had a real mom and dad once but I have stopped looking. Until now. I finally found a clue to my past, my identity, and my family.

Chapter1: the key

I walked through the desolate, abandoned town in Somalia. I have been here before, my first memory is here.

My name is Anthony. Just Anthony. I was trained here. Unlike my comrades, I was not a suicide bomber, but an assassin. I don't know how many people I have killed in my 16 years but I have killed a lot. I killed for the first time at the age of 8. At least the first time I really thought about what I had done. That time it wasn't just pulling a trigger and having the man in front of you fall and stop moving. I had murdered someone. A living, breathing man. He could've had a family. People who cared about him. For awhile, I hated him. For making me into what I am today. For having what I would never have. But then I realized, I was jealous of him. I should be dead. I wanted to be dead. I was jealous because he got out of it with just a bullet to the head while I was stuck here, being haunted every day by him. Everyone that I had killed, had looked like me. Not like the others. They were white. Not tan. They had very dark hair. Mine was lighter but still dark. Plus my "father" Saleem, looked nothing like me. He was cruel to me but not as cruel as he was to the others. He taught me. I was his "protege" as he called me. He named me Husam Muti, but he told me that I was once Anthony. It was what I preferred because Husam Muti just meant "Obedient sword". I was just a weapon to him. He taught me to torture, interrogate, and kill. He taught me the art of the assassin. It was hard at first but after awhile, I forgot how to feel. I never felt anything. Until now.

I had absentmindedly walked into the old interrogation room. There had to be a clue there. I turned in a circle just taking it all in. This had to be it. This was the beginning of it all. I could only imagine what happened here and who was involved. Little did I know that i was born in this very room. I slowed. I saw a glint in the sand by the wall. I uncovered it. I felt my heart skip a beat. I had found a star of David necklace. It was slightly bloodied but I knew what it meant. I put it around my neck and just closed my eyes as an unknown feeling washed over me. I was..happy, really happy. I dusted away more sand and rubble. I kept digging until I saw another golden glint. I didn't even notice that I was crying. It was an alien feeling when I did. It was an NCIS badge. Azir told me that only two people had been interrogated in this room. I knew the names. I just didn't know the story. There was always a mystery about it though. Saleem told me every story of torture that he performed. Except this one. When I asked, he shut me down. No one would tell me. That's when I knew. These people are the key.

A/N: Please review :)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: my mission

"Hello Husam." Saleem said.

"Hello." I said in flawless English. Only 1 of the many languages I am fluent in.

"well it is time for you to do a solo mission. Earn your true place. Move up in the ranks." he said while walking across the room. We were back in the Middle East. It had been a week since I was in Somalia. I spent most of my life there. Bombings weren't real surprises anymore. They were a daily occurrence. I actually caused a few.

"what is my mission?" I said with certainty. I was ready. This is what I was born to do.

"I need you to kill these two people."

He passed me photographs from across the table. A man and a woman. The woman was pretty. She had dark curly hair, tanned skin, and a gold Star of David necklace. My heart was in my throat.

"she," Saleem pointed at the picture. "Is the deputy director of Mossad. Her father is the director. He is stepping down in a week. She will take his place. I feel that I don't really have to say any more about Mossad." I could feel the blood pulse through every part of my body.

"this man," Saleem pointed again. "Is an NCIS agent." He was a handsome man. He had brown hair and green eyes. His grin felt strangely familiar. He had the ghost of a laugh on his face. "They killed some of my, our, people." he continued while looking at me with a smile. It almost made me sick. The pieces were falling into place.

"your mission is to terminate them. They will be in the same place in 2 days. In America. Washington D.C. Your plane leaves in an hour. You must observe and report first, then, at the conference, you will kill them. Understand?"

"yes." was all I could say.

"good." he said with a smile.

A/N: ooo cliffhanger...I know, pretty short but I'm doing my best.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The same

Disclaimer: insert snappy way to say that I don't own NCIS or anything related to it here.

A/N: sorry I thought I had this story pretty much done then I got paranoid and pretty much started from scratch. Then, of course, I got writers block. I'm hoping this is better and is a good length. I did the flashbacks from memory so my bad if they're messed up, also I kinda changed them a bit on purpose so you didn't have the stuff that had nothing to do with the plot. Also this is just the back story with Tony and Ziva and their small reunion. Anyway on with the story...

I knew this was a bad idea. The last time we worked with Mossad, well I didn't want to think about it. I wanted to die. The one person, I loved, left me. It was my fault but… I still loved her.

She was captured by a terrorist cell in Somalia. We thought she died on a boat. My whole world fell apart. I went out there partially for revenge and partially because I still had some hope that the captive Gibbs was talking about was her. We could've died to bring her home. I would've died just to bring her home. We got on the plane and she wouldn't even look at me. I tried to say something but she wouldn't answer. Something happened to her there and I don't want to think about it but I can't help it. I wanted to help her. I didn't get a chance to really see the difference in a normal everyday setting because she was gone after a week.

***(Flashback)

"Hey, have you heard from Ziva?" Tony asked as he walked towards McGee.

"No, you?" McGee asked looking a little worried.

"uh-uh." Tony shook his head. "I tried talking to her on the plane but...things got..." Tony scrunched his face slightly at the akward memory.

"she's coming back. I mean she's coming back right?" McGee asked as a question but hoping that he was stating fact.

"I don't know why she wouldn't." Tony said softly but regretted it.

The agents shared a look and they both could think of one reason, a very big reason why she wouldn't come back.

Tony. Even though he saved her, did she trust him? He killed her boyfriend and betrayed her trust. He was trying to help but she didn't see it that way last time he saw her. She did change in Somalia but did she forgive him?

"She's got to come back McGee." Tony said as more of a hopeful prayer.

McGee saw what happened Tony that summer. He was fully aware of how the agent felt even if the agent didn't know himself. But McGee was fairly sure that Tony knew his feelings for Ziva now.

*******(flashback in the flashback)

"Come on Tony." McGee said as he tried to hoist Tony off the bar stool. The bar was empty save for the bar tender in the back.

"No way McGoo! It's only two!" Tony slurred and then laughed at his own joke.

"yeah Tony. Two a.m. Time to go." McGee said again as he took Tony's shot from him and downed it himself.

"let's go." he said again.

"Hang on McGee." Tony said sounding more like an unhappy drunk.

"why are you drinking like this Tony?" he asked as he sat on the barstool next to his friend but he knew when he looked into his bloodshot eyes. He saw his broken heart and the questions he needed answered.

"I loved her." Tony said so softly that McGee could hardly hear him.

"what?" McGee was more surprised.

"I loved her!" Tony roared and slammed his fist to the bar counter. The bar tender came from the back but McGee just gave him a nod letting him know everything was ok and he went back.

"I know." McGee told him. "we all did."

"not like I did." Tony said still angrily. "I never told her! I should've! We had so many chances! Especially after that night. We were drunk and we didn't mean for it to mean anything but it did." he tried to get up but stumbled back onto the barstool and hung his head.

McGee didn't know what to say. They did have a lot of chances. He should've told her. He was even more surprised to learn that they had slept together.

"it'll be ok Tony. You'll move on." he said.

"And what if I don't want to?" Tony asked as he picked his head up and looked McGee straight in the eye.

******(end of flashback in flashback)

"She will." McGee said.

*later that night*

Tony rushed from the bullpen and jumped into his car. He was headed for the Navy lodge. He was going to tell her how he felt about her once and for all.

He parked his car and took the few steps to the lobby door in a single bound.

"Ziva David's Room?" he asked as he showed the receptionist his badge.

"she uhh, actually checked out this morning." The kid said. He couldn't be more than 18.

Tony's heart suddenly started beating harder. Why would she leave? Where would she go?

"do you know where she went?" he asked almost afraid to hear the answer.

"she had me book a one way to Tel Aviv this morning." he said after checking his computer.

Tony's heart went cold as he froze in shock and a mix of anger and sadness. She went back. After everything, she went back.

"she did leave a note for a Tony DiNozzo though." the kid said as he took it from his pocket and handed it to him.

Tony took it wordlessly and ran to his car. It had started raining. He just drove. He didn't know where he was going. He just needed to get away. He was afraid to read her note. He was afraid of the truth yet part of him was screaming to read it.

After hours of driving around aimlessly, he stopped. It was late and there was no one around. He gingerly unclamped his hand that had been in a viselike grip around the scrap of paper since he got it.

His hands started to tremble as he unfolded the crumpled paper.

"Dear Tony," he said aloud at barely above a whisper.

I know that you must be thinking that I am crazy, going back. I need to forget everything. I just want things to go back to how they were before I came to NCIS. That is why I am going back. I am forever grateful to you, Gibbs, and McGee for saving me. I am not angry at you. I understand what happened with you and Michael. I do not blame you. You were trying to protect me. You will always hold a special place in my heart. Please tell everyone that I am sorry for leaving like this but it's the best for everyone. Please do not come looking for me. I am moving on with my life. The past is too painful but I will never forget any of you.

Love,

Ziva

Tony silently slid down the wall and sat on the floor in shock, just staring at the opposite wall. She was gone. She didn't want to see him ever again. He felt the tears slide down his face as he just tried to fathom what he just learned.

***(end of flashback)

I have only seen her once in the past 17 years. It was on an MTAC video feed. It was 9 years ago. I had taken Gibbs's job when he retired 3 years before. She had been promoted to deputy director. There was an op in Israel involving Marines. One died. We talked about the case but never broke eye contact. Not even to blink. She was just as beautiful as ever. She looked the same but with more lines on her forehead. I fell in love all over again. When it was over, I drank myself to sleep. I should've told her. I should've made things right. It's never too late.

So when I saw her standing in front of me, I almost blurted it out then and there but I couldn't.

"hello." she said nonchalantly.

"shalom." I said still wondering if I was dreaming but covered with my smirk. "so…" I started but she cut me off.

"it has been awhile yes?"

"uhm. Yeah. Almost 17 years." it was ridiculously awkward and I felt myself start to sweat. She could tell I was starting to squirm.

"yes we should've kept in touch." she said trying to pretend that she didn't just leave with a note after they rescued her and we were just friends that got too busy to call each other.

"Ziva," I started but she cut me off again.

"it's deputy director David, Special Agent DiNozzo." she said with a hard look on her face. I could tell she was a little uncomfortable as well.

I ignored her. "stop interrupting me Ziva. Don't pretend that nothing happened. We need to talk about…it. Sometime. At least I do." I said. I felt vulnerable. Apparently she did too. Her eyes softened and she looked like she did when we first rescued her. Broken.

Then one of her officers walked up.

"very well." she said. Her strong bravado put right back up again.

"it's good to see you again. Sweetcheeks." I said softly with a small, reassuring smile that was more for my benefit than hers.

"you too." she said as her face turned slightly pink. "my little hairy butt." she smiled softly and turned away.

A/N: ok so that was definitely longer. The other chapters will be longer too. It was just the first couple that were short because I didn't want to give a lot away. Anyway...please review, tell me what you thought! I already have the next two written but I don't want to give them all to you at once because I probably won't have much time to write in the next couple of weeks.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: the same (Ziva)

Disclaimer: "and the word to spell is no." uhh, that would be a big fat N.O.!

A/N: this took me awhile. Hope it's good. This is Ziva's memories and more backstory. Also sorry NCIStwin1 about the flashback thing, I didn't know how else to put it. I just wanted you to get the general idea that that part also happened. I won't be doing that again anyway and thanks for the reviews. Also this and the next chapter that should be up in the next few days are probably my least favorite but I gotta have them. I promise it will get better. Please stick with me :)

Tony was the same. A few grays on the sides of his face and some white and black speckled stubble. He wanted to talk about… it. I wanted to talk about it too but than again, I didn't. Because that would mean that I had to talk about him. I never told anyone about him. Not even my father. It hurt too much. I guess Tony had a right to know at some point but it has been too long. It doesn't matter anymore. Why burden him with the knowledge. He might not even care. I don't know. It's been too long to tell. But seeing him still had the same effect on me. I loved him just as much as I did then.

***(flashback)

I had been imprisoned for almost 7 monthes. I had to keep track of time. It was difficult at times because there were no windows doors leading outside. They fed me two meals a day. They were small and anything but nutritious or delicious but if I wanted to keep my son alive, I had to eat it.

I realized I was pregnant about a month after being captured. I tried to keep it from them for as long as possible but they found out a few weeks after. They reacted exactly how I feared they would. They were happy. Beyond joyful and elated, in a completely sadistic and twisted manor. They had the biggest thing possible to hold under my head.

For fun, they would hold a gun or knife to my stomach to hear me beg. I would not beg for my own life but I would for my baby's. The only thing that kept me going was knowing who's baby it was. Tony's. The timing was spot on. It could not be Rivkin's. I was terrified the whole time that I was pregnant. I had little idea of what to expect. I wanted the time to fly so I could make sure my baby was alright in the world but then again, I would be sentencing my baby to death. I tried to hold on for as long as possible but I knew when my baby was coming. I was terrified and in denial. I prayed that someone would find me and rescue us.

Saleem came in a few hours in. "so Ziva, are you ready to be mother?" he smiled maliciously.

I would not answer. I refused to give him any satisfaction.

"it does not matter anyway. You will never truly be a mother to this baby." he threw some rags next to me. "I have never killed a child on purpose, but if it must be done, it must be done. Then maybe you will tell me what Mossad knows about operation Pack Mule."

"I will never tell you." I hissed as another wave of pain rocked my body.

"huh. we will see. I am leaving for a few days. When I return," he started but didn't finish. He smirked and left. No one returned. I shuttered at the thought of what he would do.

I could handle the pain. I could not handle the fact that I was giving birth in captivity and without any help. I wished more than anything that Tony could be there but I knew that he could not be. He was probably at work, or on a date. He probably already forgot about me. I was a jerk, the way I acted towards him was horrible. He was nosy and annoying at times but he was doing it because he cared.

I lost track of how long it took for him to finally be brought into this world but I knew it was at least 14 hours. His first cries were by far the best thing I had heard in a long time. He was alive, he was fine. He already looked like his father. His greenish blue eyes were all Tony. I wrapped him in the rags which were surprisingly clean. Saleem had some form of conscience.

"shhh, Anthony." I whispered and he quieted. I found it a fitting name. He needed to be strong yet have compassion and I knew no one with a bigger heart than Tony even if it hurt him sometimes.

We were fine for a few days. Then Saleem came back.

"well, well, well, what a...heartwarming, sight." he smiled.

I tried to shrink back into the corner with every step he took toward us. I held Anthony to my chest for dear life.

"I see that you two are fine, healthy." he said slowly. "what is it?"

I did not answer. He took out a small, old revolver and pointed it at him. It seemed odd for a man with countless machine guns only about 20 feet away but he was doing it more for dramatic effect. He was giving me a small chance.

"Boy." I squeeked.

"what is his name?" he asked.

I didn't answer. He cocked the gun.

"Anthony." I said.

He laughed. "a weak name. He will not last long, but if trained properly, he may be useful. A suicide bomber. No one would suspect a young boy saying that he lost his mommy."

"No!" I yelled.

"then tell me what you know about Pack Mule!" what does Mossad know? Why is NCIS involved?"

"I do not know! I was never involved!"

"you lie!" he screamed. "how else did you find me?" he shot a bullet a few feet away from where I sat. Anthony started to cry.

"we gathered intel. I do not how or from who! That was not my assignment! Please do not hurt him!" I cried. I rocked him gently and whispered to him and he soon quieted.

"that is nonsense!" he yelled. "there was no way that you could have found me! We are too careful!"

"I don't know." I surprised myself. I sounded so weak, so small.

Another man walked in and whispered something in Arabic in Saleem's ear. I barely overheard it. New prisoners. Americans. They wanted them to take them to Saleem. In the interrogation room.

"I will be back. And then you will tell me." Saleem said. He and the other man moved quickly. I was too weak to react fast enough. Saleem's man hit me across the face and kicked my side. I doubled over against the wall sandwiching Anthony to protect him. The man pulled me off with ease.

"NO!" I screamed and tried to fight back but then I felt a needle go into my arm. I dropped like a brick. I couldn't move. I watched helplessy as they took my screaming son. I couldn't move, I couldn't yell out. I watched Saleem smile and then everything went fuzzy and faded to black.

I do not know how long I was out. My estimation was about a day and half. Maybe more. I gained feeling and movement back gradually. I was exhausted. I could barely get up but I had to find my son. I hoped that he was not dead. He could not be.

I was working my way up against the wall when Saleem walked in quickly. He looked angry. He shoved a bag over my head and pulled me with him.

"we are going on a little field trip."

He shoved me into another room and dropped me in a chair.

"questions are being asked in town about missing NCIS agents, concerned, that U.S. forces might mobilize." Saleem said angrily. I could sense other people in the room. "one of you, will give me the identities and locations of operatives in the area, and the other one will die." he ripped off the hood and there before me sat Tony. He looked dirty and a little rough around the edges but otherwise unharmed.

"I will give you a moment to decide who lives." he said and walked out.

There was an akward moment until he spoke.

"so, how was your summer?" he smirked.

I didn't know how to respond. It took me a few moments to find the words.

"out of all the people in the world, who could have found me, it had to be you." I said without breaking eye contact. I was already responsible for the death of our son. I could not take being responsible for his death as well.

"you're welcome. So are you glad to see me?" he asked, smiling.

"you should not have come." was my only response.

"alright. Good catching up. Oh oh yeah I forgot! Taken prisoner." he said as he tried to get up and fell back down dramatically.

"are you alright, McGee?" I asked. I couldn't keep talking to him like this.

"I'm just glad that you're alive." he said from behind me.

"you thought I was dead?" I was surprised. If they thought I was dead, then why come?

"oh, oh yeah." Tony said. He looked slightly crazy. Other than that it was hard to decipher his emotions.

"then why are you here?"

"well, McGee, McGee didn't think you were dead.." Tony started to squirm and wouldn't look at me.

"Tony. Why, are you here?" I had to know.

"couldn't live without you I guess." he said.

It took me by surprise. Maybe I was not the only one that realized their feelings that night. "so you will die with me. You should've left me alone."

"ok tried, couldn't, you should know I've taken some kind of truth serum so if there's any questions you don't want to know the answer to.."

"I did not ask anyone to put themselves in harms way for me. I do not deserve it." I said. And I didn't. I couldn't even protect my own son. I hurt everyone I loved. If they stayed around long enough, they died or betrayed me.

"so uh, what are you doing out here? Some kind of monastic experience? Doing penance?" he asked.

"it is justified." I said. The truth was that I really didn't know anymore. I had given enough of my family to people like this. I do not even really remember why I went. Michael seemed like such a stupid reason. Maybe I was trying to figure out some things, which ended up just getting me into more trouble.

"get over yourself." he said seriously. It almost hurt.

"I have. Now you tell Saleem everything you want to hear, and you try to save yourselves. I am ready to die." and I was.

"that's not how it works." McGee spoke up.

"how what works?" I asked.

"the plan."

"you have an escape plan?" I asked in surprise.

He clicked his tongue and winked in response.

"Tony, they have 30 men, heavily armed. Anti tank, anti aircraft weapons. What do you have?"

"well that's where things get a little tricky." he said.

"wait, so you got captured, on purpose?" how could he just be so uncaring, about his own life when I was so close to killing him last time I saw him?

"mhhm." he said.

"These men, are killers. Tony." I said.

"I know. That's why we have to stay alive long enough to not get dead." he smiled. I think he went crazy.

"that would involve being rescued." I said.

"yes it would." he nodded.

"how long will it take?"

"I don't know. How long do you think I've been talking?"

"so what's the plan?" I hissed. If there was a chance of getting out I was taking it. I had to get out to find my son.

"well, we fail to contact Dubai, word gets to the carrier group in the Med. and they scramble after like two raptors that burn sand into glass. How long that's gonna take, I don't know. Hours or days." he said. "Ziva, can you fight?"

I was about to answer when Saleem walked back in.

"oh hey Saleem. What's all the commotion?"

"we are moving out." he said quickly.

"oh good I was getting a little tired of this place." Tony replied.

"we are not taking prisoners."

"oh it was nice talking to you then." he said.

"we are not done yet." Saleem yanked my hair and put a knife to my throat. I saw a glint in his eyes that crushed everything.

"if they do not check in, their people will come looking for them." I said.

"Ziva shut up!" Tony said.

"kill me, you'll need the Americans for leverage." I said.

"I don't make bargains. Plus, the torture will end if you die. Living with the guilt of his death..." he was saying. That's when I truly knew that my son was dead.

"do you make pizza?" Tony interrupted.

"huh?" Saleem was confused.

Then McGee kicked out making Saleem fall. McGee reached for his knife but Saleem was faster and held a gun to McGee.

"Stop, Stop!" Tony yelled. "there's something I haven't told you yet!"

Saleem got up without taking the gun from McGee's direction.

"and what is that?"

"well, I've told you about the brains, I've told you about the guts, the muscle, the scientist, the politician, the leader. I've told you about every member of the team except myself. The part I play." he said quickly.

"yeah, which is?"

"I'm the wildcard, I'm the guy that sees the reality in front of him and refuses to accept it. I mean like right now I should be terrified but im not, 'cause I can't stop thinking about the movie True Lies. Where Arnie's strapped to the chair shot full of truth serum, he breaks out of his cuffs and kills everyone. You have 30 seconds to live Saleem."

"no. You're still bound. You're lying." he said.

"I can't lie remember. And I never said I was gonna be the one to kill ya. Remember when I told you my boss was a sniper?" Tony said.

"whooozzz." the glass broke and Saleem fell back. Blood was rushing from his chest.

"look out!" Tony yelled as another man rushed in but was shot like Saleem.

"alright let's go!" Tony said. McGee cut him free and they helped pick me up.

"Tony...wait..." I tried to say but he shushed me.

"shhh. Ziva it's ok. We're getting out of here now. Don't worry." he said as we arrived at the corner and there stood Gibbs.

"let's go home." he said.

***(on the plane)

"Ziva, I know that...when we last saw eachother," Tony started. I finally looked at him and broke. I couldn't bare to look into those eyes. I could barely say his name. Because my son was dead.

Tony was struggling to find words. I just looked away and he stopped trying. I was leaving. After I got myself back together I was going back to Israel. Try to go back to when everything wad alright. Before I killed Ari. Before I met Tony. Before Rivkin. Before I lost my baby.

A/N: whew! That took forever. I was actually going to make it longer but I just couldn't. If you have any ideas it would be nice. I'm thinking about a beta too but I'm not completely sure... Review and tell me what you think! I know, I know ooc. But hey Ziva is pretty broken up here. I mean we all saw her in Somalia and when they brought her home. Just add a baby and impending doom.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: D.C. bound.

Disclaimer:NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE.

A/N: next chapter! I'm currently writing chapter 7 and I'm a tad stuck. Reviews would be great inspiration!

The airport in Madrid was busy. It was easy for me to just blend in. I had the dark brown hair and olive toned skin so I could pass for at least part Spanish. I had been on the road for weeks. Hitchhiking, trains, boosting cars. You name it, I did it to get here. Travel was hard in the middle east. Especially for me.

***(flashback)

I was almost 9. I had just killed more people. I had set a bomb in a town square in a small town in Afghanistan. It was risky. Marines were everywhere. There was a premature detonation and I got badly burned and hit by some flying debris. I would be fine with a little first aid but a marine picked me up when I blacked out after the explosion. He took me back to their base. I awoke to find stitches in my forehead and ink on my fingers. I was in the system. I broke Saleem's rule #1.

"what's your name buddy?" a doctor asked in Arabic.

"Husam Muti Ulman. I speak English." I said.

He switched back to English which had a slight southern accent. "do you know where your parents are Husam? You don't look like you're from around here."

This was my chance to find them. But what if what Saleem told me was true? Did they really abandon me? Did they really not want me?

"dead." I said.

He smiled sadly at me and started filling out a form. For the orphanage no doubt.

I waited until they thought I was asleep that night. I slipped out of the tent with ease and made my way back to camp. I was walking alongside the road when a truck came up. 3 men jumped out. They put a bag over my head and threw me into the truck. We drove for a long time and when we finally stopped. Saleem was there.

"where have you been Husam?" he was angry.

"the bomb was bad." I said slowly in English. It was my favorite language which angered Saleem.

"nonsense!" he yelled in Arabic. "let me see your hands."

I held them out gingerly.

He saw them and instantly became furious. The ink residue was clearly there. He hit me so hard, I blacked out for a moment and slammed into the side of the truck.

"what have you done? You have ruined everything!" he yelled at me and kicked me. I cried out in pain as I felt a rib break.

He marched away leaving me in the dust. One of the younger men, Azir, was just 23. He told me once that I reminded him of his little brother. He was the only one who called me Anthony. He picked me up and tended to my wounds. He took care of me for a few days. That's when I asked about them. My parents.

"they were prisoners, to Saleem. From America. I actually helped capture your father. I delivered meals to your mother. She loved you very much. She tried her best to protect you once you were born but..." he looked down and stopped talking. I knew there was something he was not telling me. Little did I know was the fact that he was the one that helped Saleem beat my mother and take me away from her.

"what about my father?" I looked up at him as we walked through the town.

Then a man came up. "Saleem has a mission for you Azir." he said and left.

"I'm sorry Anthony. I will tell you more when I get back." he smiled and left me.

I got news 2 days later that his mission had been completed and he would not be returning. My one chance at knowing at least a little about them was gone. I did not even know their names.

I shook the memories from my head as I headed to the little cafe. I sat down and pulled out my laptop. I started looking at the files Saleem gave me. They were blueprints of buildings, i.d. pass cards, everything. I went to the NCIS website and was immediately met by a stone, stare from a man with salt and pepper hair and steel blue eyes. I read the caption.

"special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs." I said under my breath. I knew the name. I heard Saleem say it once when talking about what happened in Somalia, or lack there of. That's why I remembered. I asked him about the bullet scar on his chest. This man knew the people I was supposed to kill in a matter of days. He worked at NCIS. This said he was retired. He was exactly the guy to help me save them.

I closed the laptop and started walking. I could easily pass as a native here but with my past. They were bound to be suspicious. I knew they had a terrorist dossier on me somewhere.

Just then, my phone rang. One person knew that number.

"Hola." I said and picked up.

"Just in case something were to happen..." Saleem said. "3 men will be following you shortly. They have another mission as well but will look out for you. Qusam, the lead on this has your number." with that he hung up.

"well adios to you to." I said under my breath.

This was just great. How was I supposed to stop all this with 3 terrorists breathing down my neck making sure everything was done?

I sat back down and just watched the people rushing off, saying goodbye to loved ones or greeting them.

I got up slowly after awhile and stretched my legs. I walked through the airport to the gift shop. I was walking through the aisles when a little boy ran into me with an ice cream cone which then fell to the floor by my shoes.

"sorry mister." he said shyly as his mother came up.

"it's ok kid." I smiled and wiped off my jeans.

The boy's mother smiled at me and I smiled back.

I took out a couple of Euros from my pocket and handed them to the kid. "go get another one."

"Thanks!" he smiled and ran off.

"Miguel wait!" she called after the boy. "thank you!" she said as she followed her son.

The woman had no idea that I killed people for a living. If it was even a living. I kill just to kill more. I don't like to but I can't even feel it anymore. I hoped that that little boy never got hurt by this business. He wouldn't lose a loved one or ever be sucked into this by being killed himself.

"too late for life choices." I thought to myself.

"now boarding gate 3, flight number 24 to Wachington D.C., United States." the automated voice said over the P.A. I got up and went to find my gate.

I waited in line. I was nervous and I shouldn't be. I've never been this nervous about traveling. I've been cautious but not nervous. I've been to the U.S. before, a few times actually. Unfortunately, always a blood trail in my wake.

Maybe it was the weight of the situation. I only had the one bag but it was still risky. I handed the woman at the gate my passport which was doctored. On that, I was a college student from the U.S. If anyone asked, I was going home on vacation. I even had a Norfolk Academy Bulldog Lacrosse T-shirt from my supposed Alma mater high school.

The guard looking at me slightly suspiciously but I passed through and went to find my seat.

I leaned back as the plane took off and tried to catch some shut eye.

•••••

"Fornell," the agent at the desk said.

"what Carlson?"

"we just got an interpol hit confirming chatter." the young agent said.

Fornell walked over and looked at him expectantly.

"well go on!" he said.

"uh," he said nervously. "Husam Muti Ulman, known al Qaeda terrorist connections passed through to board a plane bound for D.C. from Madrid 8 hours ago. He's wanted in over 12 countries including the U.S. His alias is Anthony Brian David." he said quickly.

"what chatter was confirmed?" Fornell asked.

"the assassination attempt on the visiting Mossad and some other federal agents." he said. "Spain just made the connection."

"well done Carlson. Send the intel to all major agencies. We'll pick him up at the airport." Fornell said as he loaded his gun and holstered it.

A/N: I wasn't entirely happy with this chapter so PLEASE let me know what you thought by reviewing. The next chapter should be up on saturday or sunday. Btw, I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed, story alerted, or author alerted.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Blown

Disclaimer: sadly no. I do own season 6 on DVD and the first two episodes of season 7 on my iPod but that's about it.

A/N: Things should be a lot better from here on in. Or at least I think so. I get little snippets or scenes in my head then I have to figure out how to connect them and form a story around them which frustrates me. The next few chapters and the first one are scenes I had and started building around.

I got a weird feeling in my stomach as soon as we touched down. Call it a...gut feeling. I got my pack and waited until I was in the thick of the crowd. I put on a hat to cover my hair and some of my face. I knew where the cameras were so I kept my face turned or down. I was walking out of the gate and to the exit when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Someone was watching me. Then I noticed a man leaning against a magazine stand with a newspaper. He had sunglasses on and a clear spiral wire connecting to his ear and running into his collar. A fed. Then I spotted another.

I stopped to get a coffee after I spotter 3. They stopped too, the farthest was about 150 feet and the closest was getting brave being only two people behind me in line.

I got my coffee and continued walking at a normal speed. I was getting close to the exit. I had to lose them, fast.

I walked slightly faster towards the men's room when I noticed more behind me. Many with suits and long black coats but some in normal clothes.

The one in the middle, a balding man with gray hair in a ring on the top of his head took out his gun and held it by his side tightly but I still saw it.

It was time to move. I dropped my coffee and took off to the side, dodging around people.

"Stop! FBI!" I heard them yell. I couldn't look back. "no don't shoot! It's too crowded!" I heard the man yell to another.

The crowds were indeed too thick. I was slowed down significantly so I jumped onto a vender cart full of "i heart D.C." shirts and coffee mugs. I hopped over and then side swiped a trash can. I fell to my hands and knees but got up and kept running. It hurt but I had to keep going.

"hey!" the vender yelled at me but I was already by the next cart. I saw two security gaurds run at me from the sides so I mustered up every ounce if speed I had. I pushed my way through lines of people and next thing I knew, I was by baggage claim and slid over the spinning belt with bags on top. The move slowed down my pursuers enough for me to duck into a less crowded hallway. I jumped and banked off a corner only to be met by a security gaurd. He took out his gun but I was quicker.

I kicked it out of his hands and went to punch him but he countered the blow and landed one to my jaw. I lashed out at his legs and he fell. I put my foot to his throat and held down until he passed out. I tasted blood and a little came out of the cut that was now on my lip but I had bigger things to worry about. I grabbed his gun and slipped it into my waistband, hoping I wouldn't have to use it.

I kept running and after a few moments and ducking through the crowds, I was out into the open again. I slowed to not draw any suspicion. I grabbed a pair of sunglasses off a rack in the entrance of the gift shop and kept walking. I threw on my sweatshirt from my pack and took off my cap.

I saw a few of the men and they were catching on. I went into the men's room and slipped into a stall. I hopped up on the toilet seat and removed a tile from the ceiling. I pulled myself up and placed the tile back. I was surrounded by darkness and a dusty and slightly moldy smell. I took off the sunglasses and gave my eyes a moment to adjust.

"think." I whispered to myself. Ok, the women's room was next to the men's but how far and where would the stalls be? I creaked blindly to the left. I was surprised the tiles held me but I stayed up in the crawlspace. I took a deep breath and prayed that I wouldn't be jumping down onto an unsuspecting woman or worse not into a stall at all and instead in plain sight.

I removed the tile slightly. I had miscalculated and was above the sinks but thankfully it didn't matter because the entire bathroom was unoccupied. I dropped to the floor into a crouch and stood. I took a second to wet down my hair so it looked darker and like it was gelled.

When I opened the door, a woman was about to walk in but gave me a strange look and continued in. I just gave her a smile and slipped the sunglasses back on.

When I was exiting the women's room, I saw some of the agents go into the men's room and I smiled to myself. I walked out and was about to cross the drop off lane that was filled with taxis when I heard a voice call from behind me and a gun click.

"Stop there Husam! FBI. It's over." a man said.

I took out the gun and turned but kept walking back slowly. Soon I was surrounded 5 or 6 more. I grabbed one of the younger ones on the end and held the gun to his head. He looked to be about 27 or 28.

"drop the gun Husam! You don't have a chance! If you cooperate, we can maybe cut you a deal." The leader said.

"I don't want a deal." I said.

"Husam, you're young. Don't..." he started.

"my name is not Husam." I chuckled to myself. I had to stay confident.

"ok then, what is it?" he asked. He was trying to make me feel comfortable.

"My mother named me Anthony." I said.

"Anthony, Just let him go." he said. Then I saw them. Qusam and his men. It was time to put back on the big bad terrorist act. I had to be taken by force and Saleem taught us to always go down with a fight. And I knew that's what I had to do, I just had to hope that these guys had bad aim when it came to kill shots.

I acted like lightning. I grabbed the agent's gun with my other hand and kicked the agent out in front of me. I shot two of the agents but I shot in the extremeties to minimize damage. I dove behind a parked cab but on my way I was grazed by my temple and shot in the leg. I clamped a hand on the wound and listened to the glass shatter and the tires pop. Some shattered above me and I felt it rain down on me. It quieted except for the screams of passerbys and a faint wail of sirens in the distance.

"come out Husam! Hands where we can see them!" the agent yelled.

I took a deep breath which caused pain to shoot through my body. I was losing a lot of blood. I spun up quickly only to be shot in the arm and my stomach. The gun flew from my hand and suddenly, I was on my back, on the pavement. I was surprised to still be conscious.

I could barely breath and my vision was fading. I saw shoes and a hand come to check my pulse. I pulled up every last bit of strength and grabbed the hand and looked the man in the eyes.

"NC..IS.." I rasped. "Gi..bbs" and then everything went black.

Fornell was stunned. How did this kid know Gibbs? He watched the ambulance rush away with the kid in the back escorted by two of his agents.

He started going through the kid's backpack. What he found really stunned him.

"Sacks." Fornell said without looking away from his find.

"yeah." The agent said as he came up.

"any idea why this kid would have your favorite NCIS agent's old I.D. And badge?" Fornell asked.

Sacks sighed. "please not DiNozzo..."

"yup." Fornell said. "what makes it especially odd, is that this," he held up the badge. "according to the date, is the one that DiNozzo lost when he went on that psycho rescue mission to Somalia."

"maybe he found it. It could be a coincidence." Sacks said hopefully.

"I don't believe in coincidences." Fornell said. "plus there's no way that this is coincidence too." he held up the golden star of David necklace and Sacks knew immediately whose it was.

A/N: ok shorter than the others but I had fun writing it and I just had to leave it on a cliffhanger. Anyway, the part of Gibbs being on the website was inspired by Short Fuse. :) please review and make my day. I can see the traffic and seriously I get like 7 reviews from that many people? I feel like i'm walking blindly through the woods. I can't find my way out without getting hurt or dying if you don't tell me how I'm doing. Ok bad analogy but you get the idea.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Questions

Disclaimer: Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha I wish!

A/N: I know. Long time. But I've had some serious problems lately with writers block and I've been ridiculously busy. So here you go.

"Another damn boat?" Fornell asked as he walked down the steps into Gibbs's basement. It was dimly lit with a dark figure sanding one of the ribs of the boat. Gibbs took a sip of bourbon and looked up.

"I thought we only had dinner on Thursdays? It's Tuesday." Gibbs said.

"oh, that reminds me, I got a coupon for Chester's in the mail, do you want to give it another try?" Fornell asked thoughtfully.

"no, their burgers taste like cardboard with ketchup." Gibbs said. "we could do that new steakhouse though..."

Fornell shook his head in frusteration. "I'm not here about your damn boat or dinner."

"well then why are you here Tobias?" Gibbs asked as he emptied a jar of nails and poured some amber liquid from a glass bottle into it.

"him." Fornell said slapping down a file in front of Gibbs.

Gibbs knit his eyebrows together and opened it. "Husam Muti Ulman, 16, first documented in Gaza, known connections to Al Qaeda and Hammas, possibly more." he said. Then he looked at the most recent picture of him which was on his fake passport.

He was shocked at how familiar this kid looked.

"he's wanted in multiple countries around the world including the U.S. We had to fight C.I.A for jurisdiction but we won. Chatter says he's here to kill two of your old agents." Fornell said.

Gibbs looked at him expectantly.

"DiNozzo and David. David is moving up to director of Mossad in a matter of days and she's in D.C. for a conference. She's leaving in 2 days."

"why them? Who wants them dead?" Gibbs said angrily. Truth be told, he was scared.

"chatter says a terrorist with connections to almost every known terrorist group in the middle east and Africa. A man by the name of Saleem Ulman." Fornell said.

"he's dead." Gibbs said.

"no he's not. He survived your shot." Fornell said. "why he's going after them, we don't know. But, we do know that he's planning something. Something big."

"where's the kid now?" Gibbs asked.

"we tried to pick him up at the airport today. He was pretty tough to catch. He shot two of my agents, held one hostage, and knocked out a security gaurd. My agents are fine. We got him in the end with three shots. He's at Bethesda now but he's still in surgery. The doctors said he's got a 85% chance."

"so why tell me? I can't do anything. I'm retired." Gibbs said.

"I was checking his pulse when he spoke to me. He said NCIS and Gibbs." Fornell said. "then when I was going through his only bag," he took out the badge and the necklace and dropped them on the open file. "we found these. And I'm sure you don't need me to tell you who they belonged to or where they lost them." Fornell smirked.

Gibbs picked up the objects and inspected them. It had to be them.

"I need to talk to the kid." Gibbs said as he picked up his jacket off the workbench and started up the stairs.

"you need to talk to your agents too." Fornell turned in his spot to face Gibbs who stopped midway up the stairs. "he told me, that his mother named him Anthony."

Gibbs's eyes widened slightly. He had an odd feeling in his gut. Like something bad was going to happen or like 2 of his agents broke a rule.

"yeah got it." Fornell said as he hung up his phone as we walked into Bethesda.

"we have to question him here for now. I just got more intel from one of my agents. 3 more terrorists were caught on Interpol but it's too late. They're already gone. Known ties with Saleem Ulman and the boys at the bureau think they're the ones executing whatever it is Ulman's planning. Husam is a distraction. Especially for you." Fornell finished.

"Well, it's working." I said and took a swig of my coffee.

••••(Anthony's PoV)

Everything was grey and fuzzy. I heard a steady beeping noise coming from beside me. I opened my eyes slightly and was almost blinded. I went to shield them with my hand but I found that it was restrained. I opened my eyes and looked down. My head was pounding. I saw that both of my hands were handcuffed to the hospital bed. I fought against them for only a moment as the primal fear and panic set in but I stopped when shooting pains went up my arm wher I was shot. I had a bandage on my arm but and I felt numb from the morphine hooked up to my other wrist after a few moments. I looked at the cuffs a little closer and I soon realised that there was no escaping these. It wasn't a simple generic design like most. It required 2 separate keys and 2 people to unlock it.

I dropped my head back onto the pillow and sighed in frusteration. I had no idea how long I had been out for. There wasn't a clock. I had to know how much time I had to warn them that three psycho terrorists were after them.

I heard a noise in the corner that startled me. A man was getting out of a chair. The FBI man.

"hello, Anthony." He said. "have a good nap?"

"yes, thank you." I smiled sarcastically.

"well, good. It's always a good idea to get a nap in before an assassination huh?" He smiled sarcastically back at me.

"ah!" I said and pointed a finger back at him and chuckled. "you're not very good at making friends are you?"

"and uh..why would I want to be friends with you?" he asked as he stood by my bed side.

"now, now." I said feigning a look of hurt. "I knew the handcuffs were getting off on the wrong arm but that question was just rude."

"you got a problem with American idioms?" He asked.

"tell me your name." I ignored him.

"Fornell. FBI." he said.

"yeah I got the last part when you shot me. By the way, I didn't lose any organs did I?" I asked. He was getting frusterated with my attitude.

"unfortunately no." he said.

"did you get my message? I was kinda fuzzy." I said.

"oh I got it." Fornell said.

"Gibbs?" I raised my eyebrows in question.

"is listening to what you have to say on a microphone." Fornell said.

"how long have i been out?"

"less than a day since we tried to pick you up."

"tell me what happened after I passed out." I said. "and bring Gibbs in."

***(Gibbs's PoV)

The boy was a perfect mix of Tony and Ziva. There was little doubt in his mind about his parents. He messed up idioms, he was over confident, he looked just like both of them somehow.

This should be interesting.

***(Anthony's PoV)

He decided to play along. The man I saw on the web site came in and stood in the corner.

"well, you were shot in the abdoman and in the thigh. The one in your thigh was a flesh wound. The one in your abdoman was a little trickier. It nicked your spleen and went into your small intestine but it didn't do much damage. They took it out with ease. You got grazed by your temple and the shot in your left forearm was through and through. You may have a little long term nerve damage." he sighed and sat down in a chair by the wall. "we went through your bags." and he stopped.

I leaned my head back and looked up at the ceiling.

"you found the badge and the necklace didn't you?" I asked slowly.

"where did you get them?" Gibbs asked.

"I found them." I said slowly.

"where?" he narrowed his eyes at me.

"Somalia."

"Do you know who they belonged to?"

"Tony DiNozzo obviously."

"the necklace?" he asked.

"not sure." I said. They didn't know I had seen their pictures. I had to watch what I said because even a little slip could put me in jail and then I could never help them.

I saw Gibbs's face. He knew more than he was letting on.

"but you, on the other hand do know." I said.

He nodded. "I do. Why were you sent to kill them?"

"I don't know. But I want to protect them." I said.

"why?" Fornell asked leaning forward.

"I have a theory." I said.

"what would that be?" Gibbs asked.

"why let me guess when you can tell me for fact?" I asked. I could read him like a book. "you knew them, had close relationships with them."

"what was your relationship to them?" Gibbs asked.

"don't know for sure. I don't know much about them."

"you never heard of these people before?" he looked skeptical.

"once." I said. "when I asked, I was shut down."

"do you know why?"

"no."

"any guesses?"

"one."

"go on..." Gibbs said.

"just tell me because I know you know." I said. "I'm done waiting."

"I don't know for sure either Anthony. I don't want to wait either." he said.

I trusted him. I don't know why but I did.

"the woman, that the necklace belonged to, she was my mother. I was told that much." I said. "The man...DiNozzo, I think he's my father." I sighed. It felt good to tell someone my secret but then again, If I was wrong...I don't know what I would do.

Both men looked at eachother.

"what now?" I asked.

"paternity and maternity tests. Back at NCIS." Fornell said. "you'll be taken care of there by a nurse but we have to take you into custody."

"alright." I said softly.

"but before you're discharged, why did three of your terrorist buddies come along?"

"I don't know. I had a seperate mission from them." I said. "but now that I'm compromised, my mission is their mission." I said.

"and what was their mission before. I need specifics Husam. Then maybe we can cut you a deal." Fornell said with urgency in his voice.

"I. Don't. Know." I said strongly back.

Fornell left to go get a doctor and my nurse to get me on the road.

"Gibbs?" I asked. I felt like a little boy again, asking Saleem about them but this time, I wouldn't be beaten.

"This isn't going to end until we're all dead." I said.

"listen, buddy," Gibbs said. "I will do everything in my power, to make sure you and your parents are safe."

"are you sure they're my parents?" I asked carefully.

"we need to wait for blood tests to be sure but..." he stopped when the doctor came in.

A tall African American doctor came in with a clipboard.

"hello Husam." he said. "good to see that you are awake. How are you feeling?"

"fine. How am I doc?" I asked.

He explained everything that Fornell did a few minutes ago.

"thanks doc."

"and on the...special circumstances, we're releasing you now instead of waiting a day or so." he said looking at Fornell. I could tell that he didn't really approve of letting me go yet but he also didn't want me in his hospital.

"awesome." I said with fake enthusiasm.

The doctor left and a nurse came in. She rewrapped my bandages and checked my stitches.

"behave yourself or my men will shoot you again." Fornell said as two more big FBI guys walked in.

They undid my cuffs and moved me into the wheelchair where I was strapped in and handcuffed. My feet were also bound which made moving impossible even if it didn't hurt just to yawn.

They transported me in an NCIS truck which surprised me. The two big agents rode with me the whole way.

"so what do you benchpress? 250? 275?" I asked just out of curiousity.

He gave me a dirty look and I stopped trying to start a conversation. They were convinced I was a terrorist that almost killed 2 of their coworkers. Which I was but I didn't try to be.

***(Gibbs's PoV)

"I felt like I was interrogating DiNozzo back there." Fornell said.

"you were." I said. "just a different one."

"how you gonna tell your people that their son is alive?"

"I don't think DiNozzo knows. Ziva must but it was probably the reason she left. She couldn't face him." I said.

"What are they doing?" I asked looking in the rear view mirror.

"They're probably in a meeting right now." Fornell said and kept staring ahead. This was too weird.

"no, I mean the truck!" I said. Fornell slung the car around at breakneck speed.

The agents in the front cabin had just been shoved out and the van turned sharply. They were headed for the gate.

"Someone's taking Husam!" Fornell yelled into his phone. "Get back up! Call local leos! I want every officer after this van."

We couldn't let them go because if we did there was no way he would survive.

Suddenly a scope and a barrel came out of the back of the van and shot at us. The windshield shattered. We ducked and I pulled out my gun but then they shot out the tires and we spun out of control a bit but Fornell stopped us.

"Damn It!" Fornell yelled.

I ran out of the car and shot at the van but they quickly crashed through the gates of the base and turned the corner onto the road.

I sighed and walked back to the car. I kicked the tire in frustration. We had to get him back. Ziva couldn't lose him again. Especially after she was about to get him back.

A/N: Reviews...seriously this would go much faster if I had some more inspiration but I'm almost done. Please review...please...I love the alerts and i am really grateful but reviews are better because I know what I'm doing wrong and what I'm doing right.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: the end of the pain

A/N: I just stayed up until about 2 AM finishing this whole story so I'll be posting the rest of the chapters whenever I get a chance to read over them one more time but they'll probably all be posted by the end of this weekend...

Disclaimer: yes I have a toe and a knee but no, not a Tony, Ziva, or anything relating to NCIS.

(Ziva's PoV)

It was time to tell him. I had to. I was leaving tomorrow and he needed to know. I was nervous but I had to. I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. The scars of my past were visible when I was tired and my mask slipped a little. I looked exhuasted and sad. I splashed water on my face and leaned into the sink to hang my head. I had to do this.

Then the door opened but I didn't look up. I heard the door close and someone locked it.

"whoa, deja vu huh Ziva?" I heard Tony say nervously.

"yes, very much like the past." I said and faced him. He looked troubled.

He just looked into my eyes and we were almost talking. He was urging me on but he saw my hesitation and wanted me to take my time.

"but sometimes, the past is so painful, we run away from the people we love because it hurts too much." I swallowed.

"Ziva I know Michael..." he started.

"this is not about Michael, Tony. You were right all along. I should've trusted your instincts." I looked at the ground for a moment but then looked back to him. His green eyes. The green eyes that were exactly the same color my son's had been. Suddenly it all flashed back to me. I felt my eyes prickle as I remembered him being taken. "do you remember the night we had, late March before...I left?" I asked.

"yeah, that's what I need to talk to you about Ziva. I should've told you then." he started to rush. I could see he was struggling a little. "I should've told you that I lo..." but I cut him off. I had to get this out.

"I was pregnant." I said.

His mouth was slightly open as he stared at me in shock. "I...but...Rivkin..." he was stuttering.

"Rivkin was not the father. You were." I said. "Were." I emphasized.

"Somalia..." Tony sighed. He just kept staring in my eyes and I couldn't look away.

"He was born a few days before you came to rescue me but Saleem took him when you got there." I said as I felt a tear slide down my cheek. He stepped closer, slowly, and wiped it away.

"that's what he meant when he wanted the pain of his death to last." He whispered to me. I saw the despair in his eyes. He seemed to have aged about ten years in the past 30 seconds.

"yes." I broke down but Tony caught me and just held me as I sobbed into his shoulder.

He was crying too as he held me close to him as he kissed the side of my head. He put the curve of his nose against my forehead and closed his eyes as he tried to control himself. We were both shaking.

"His name," I whispered and he opened his eyes. "was Anthony."

"that's why I left, I just wanted to forget everything from the past 4 years of my life so I went back to Mossad. I missed you so much but I just couldn't...everytime I saw you. I saw him." I shook as I let more tears go.

**(Tony's PoV)

This was why she left. I had a son. A son named Anthony. Had. Past tense. Meaning no more. My son was dead. If I had come a few days earlier, I could've saved them both. But I was too late. I was in shock. I was just letting it sink in when I remembered what I was saying before.

"I'm so sorry Ziva." I swallowed. "I should've told you so long ago, but I never found the courage, and half the time I was in denial. But I love you. I've never stopped. When you 'died', so did I. When you left, I died inside all over again." I said and kissed her forehead. "I can't let you go again." It sounded more like a plea for her to stay.

She didn't say anything. I had waited this long to be rejected. My heart that was already shattered just got stepped on.

Suddenly her lips were on mine and I was kissing he back. Her hands were holding either sides of my head. I had one hand cupping her cheek and the other in the small of her back. Our tears mixed in with the kiss as we let our sorrow out on eachother.

Finally she pulled away. "I love you too Tony." she said.

We just stood there for awhile, foreheads resting against eachother as we just stayed in the moment. Our secrets were out. We could finally just be.

"Are you going back to Israel?" impossibly, my voice sounded husky but weak at the same time.

"I must." she said.

"please, stay here." I pleaded as I inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo. "I need you."

"Tony..." she started to say.

"Ziva We've waited over 20 years just to admit that we love eachother. You almost died, I lost you too many times." I said.

"Tony, I know but, things are complicated..." she said exasperatedly.

"I thought you didn't like that word." I smirked remembering our conversation on that word almost 21 years ago.

"I don't when people use it against me but when it is in my arsenal I quite like it." she said cheekily. Her mask was back. She was hiding again. She wanted to run away.

"I thought I was the one that hid behind humor," I said quickly. "and it's not complicated. I want to be with you," I paused. She wouldn't look me in the eyes. "do you, want to be with me?" I thought about it. It had been a long time. She said she loved me but after this long, feelings were possible but actually wanting to express those feelings for so long, you come to accept them. And you move on even if they still linger.

She finally looked at me. "yes." she whispered.

Then our lips crashed upon eachother again. This was how it should've been all those years ago and all this time.

Then a knock on the door interrupted us.

We wiped away our tears, took deep breaths, and opened the door to a very surprised and embarresed looking Probie. We walked hand in hand until we got to the bullpen where we separated.

She gave me a sad smile and I gave her one back. I was happy yet then again, I felt like part of me had just died.

I went back to my desk and sat down. It felt different. I had sat at this desk for years and yet it had never felt this way. It was the most important thing in my life before but now...it seemed like it meant nothing. Nothing meant anything anymore. Yet nothing meant everything. Everything was redefined now but I didn't have the dictionary to figure out what it all meant.

I don't know how long I just sat. When I consciously looked around instead of staring straight in front of me, suddenly Abby ran into the room.

"TONY! Gibbs! Where's Gibbs?" she yelled with the biggest smile I've ever seen on her face.

"Gibbs isn't here Abby... Should he be?" I asked as I looked suspiciously over my shoulders on both sides but he wasn't there.

"hey Abby." Ziva said as she walked up behind her.

"Oh My God! Ziva! We haven't even talked since you've been back and your leaving so soon! We really have to catch up!" Abby said as she hugged her with her signature death grip.

"yes! How have you been?" Ziva asked still smiling. I could tell she missed this.

"Great! Got married! To McGee actually but it's quiet because of the whole interoffice romance stuff and we have two littl girls. Sarah and Emma. They're 8..."

Suddenly there was a ding that could only be the elevator behind us. Abby released Gibbs and ran to him but Gibbs met her by Ziva's old desk.

"Abby, I need the test results and tracking. Now." Gibbs said. It was odd. He was retired.

"Ok..." she looked back uncomfortably which was even weirder...

"the uh...people you told me to run the DNA against are both matches. And no sitings yet but me and Tim have been personally going over all footage of traffic cams for anything we can use to find him..." Abby rambled nervously.

"Whoa! What's going on?" I asked.

"I need to talk to you two. Now. Conference room." Gibbs said. I flashed back to 18 years ago when everything was ok. Everything was good. Except Gibbs's stare was icier and stonier than ever.

I was about to protest but decided against it. We walked to the elevator with Gibbs in the front. Wordlessly, I took Ziva's hand she gave it a quick squeeze before we separated and boarded the elevator.

Gibbs pressed the main button but as soon as the doors closed he flipped the emergency stop.

"Rule 12," was all he said.

Ziva and I shared a look. He knew.

"Ziva, what you think happened in Somalia didn't." Gibbs said quickly. I was surprised. I thought he was about to lecture us.

"Gibbs..I..." she started to say.

"Anthony," Gibbs said.

"how do you..." I was shocked. He knew and I just found out a few hours ago.

"Saleem didn't kill your son. He raised and trained him to be a mercinary assassin for whatever terrorist organization needed him but mostly just Saleem's personal weapon. He was good too. Then he was sent to kill you two a few days ago. He made the connection that you were his parents and he was trying to save you. Interpol caught him and the FBI picked him up..." Gibbs trailed as he saw our shocked and disbelieving faces.

"No...Anthony..." Was all Ziva said.

"he's alive Ziver." Gibbs said.

I was in shock as well. Everything changed. Again. I felt like this day had been years.

"but we don't know for how long." Gibbs said.

Ziva took my hand again and had it in a vice like grip but I was gripping hers just as hard.

"FBI had to shoot him 3 times to take him down. Then we were transporting him here when the van was hijacked by his terrorsit buddies. We don't know anything else but we have every law enforcment officer on the lookout." he said. "we'll find him but right now, we need to figure out what Saleem is up to. He's planning something." with that he flipped the switch and the elevator shuttered to life.

I was in shock and so was Ziva.

I snapped put of it and stopped Gibbs just as he was about to step out of the elevator.

"wait! So you just expect us to focus on something else when our son, that we thought was dead but is actually alive, was kidnapped!" I yelled.

"we figure out what Saleem is doing, we figure out where your kid is." Gibbs said calmly.

"right, makes sense." I thought over.

Ziva was still silent. I could understand that. Things were happening so fast.

We walked back into the bullpen only to find everyone on Tony's team plus Abby and McGee, Just standing there.

"Secnav is on MTAC Gibbs." Abby said and Gibbs bee-lined for the stairs. "Vance is in there too."

"Tony, Ziva. With me. Everyone else do something to figure out what Saleem is planning." he said.

We followed him up. He walked to the iris scanner and tried it but it wouldn't let him in. He slapped the wall underneath the scanner and looked at me expectantly.

"oh yeah sorry boss." I said and scanned my irises and the door unlocked.

We went in without a word to find Vance standing in front of the huge screen which was already in use.

"Special Agent DiNozzo, Deputy Director David, Gibbs." Secnav acknowledged.

"Mr. Secretary would like to know what you have on Husam Muti Ulman and the other three terrorists." Vance said.

"well, as of now, we have bolos out and we're doing our best to try to find these sons of bitches." Gibbs said.

"what sort of information did you get out if Husam?" SecNav asked.

"Anthony." Ziva spoke up for the first time in a while.

"excuse me?" SecNav asked.

"his name is Anthony." she said louder. "and he is our son."

SecNav looked surprised and slightly confused.

"that's one thing." Gibbs said. "he's their long lost son that Saleem used as a mercinary and his own personal assassin. They thought he was dead."

"So what did...Anthony say?"

"that Saleem was planning something big but he didn't know specifics. He was trying to protect his parents and stop them when he was taken." Gibbs said.

"well, I want..." SecNav started until the screen cut and went fuzzy. We exchanged confused looks.

"Director, someone is hacking into the feed and I can't stop them." the tech said urgently.

Suddenly, the screen cut to black then flickered a little more and a video feed popped up.

Anthony, chained to a pole with blood covering his body. He was upright and breathing but it looked like he kept fading in and out of consciousness until a hand grabbed his hair and pulled upwards.

"say hello to Mommy and Daddy dearest." an accented vice that had haunted my dreams for years said.

"uergg." he groaned and opened his eyes a little farther.

"now tell mommy and daddy what a naughty boy you've been." Saleem said as his face came on screen.

Anthony was silent and started slumping down again until Saleem yanked him back up again. I felt anger surge through my chest as I saw him hurt my son. I wanted to kill the bastard, if only I could shoot him through the screen...

"Ahh!" he yelped.

"Anthony here, as he likes to be called, is the uhhh... How you say,the Big bang, of my plan." Saleem smiled. I felt sick. Ziva was frozen at my side.

"He is also not feeling too well. are you?"

Anthony was silent as his eye started to droop again.

"Answer me!" Saleem yelled and kicked his side.

"peachy." he rasped. I felt some pride at how alike we were but then I was reminded that he could be killed at any moment.

"ah there you go." Saleem smiled his twisted smile. "but uhh...I do not think he is in enough pain right now..."

He took out a knife and I saw it glint in the tiny amount of light being let in by a small window.

Ziva stiffened even more and leaned into me.

He slid the smooth side of the blade against Anthony's cheek. Anthony didn't even flinch. Suddenly, Saleem stabbed the blade into his shoulder.

"AHHH!" he screamed as Saleem twisted the blade farther into his shoulder.

"Stop!" Ziva screamed beside me as tears streamed down her face.

Saleem finally pulled the blade out and blood gushed from the wound. Anthony passed out and slumped back against the pole.

"You will soon found out why I am doing this. You are simply paying as my people are paying. Your son, is just a little game to me now. It is terribly fun." he smiled. "since it is a game, I will give you a little clue," he stepped in and blocked out Anthony with his face. "Boom." he whispered and started laughing maniacally. "and by the way, you have two hours." and the feed cut.

MTAC was silent. He had our boy and he was killing him. We were no closer to finding him than before.

Finally Vance spoke. "Abby, McGee and the entire cyber crimes unit has been tracing the feed since about 30 seconds before he cut off. They don't even know how he hacked the feed in with such a basic and low tech camcorder that they found him using." he turned to us. "we won't stop until we find them."

***(Anthony's PoV)

"wakey, wakey Husam." I heard Saleem say in a sarcastic sing song voice. "I have a surprise for you..."

I opened my eyes but everything was fuzzy. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the dim light. I saw that he was holding a fastfood cheeseburger in front if my face. The very smell of it was making my already sensitive stomach churn. I turned away he grunted and threw it to the floor.

"just kill me." I said.

"i will. But not just you..." He said with a sick smile.

"you kill me, you hurt them anyway." I said weakly. "save bullets."

"I don't plan on using bullets, actually." he said as he took out a long, sharp blade.

"this, is a very special knife. Not like the one I used to stab you with earlier." he said. Then I remembered the video he and I starred in earlier. I looked down to see my shoulder bloody and open. It still hurt but It had almost compltely stopped bleeding. He slid the blade he was holding along my arm. It was so sharp I barely felt it until the cut started to sting. "I have been saving this knife for a long time. I was originally going to kill you with this knife the moment you were born, but then again I thought that perhaps you could be useful someday. When I didn't kill you, I actually used it to torture your father, then I held it to your mother's throat so your father would talk. I think it is only fitting that it finishes the job like you should've done."

He walked around my chair and stood behind me. He put the knife to my throat but I wouldn't given him the satisfaction of stiffening or shrinking away. I stayed exactly where I was.

"where did your loyalty go Husam?" he asked bending down to so he was right by my ear.

"you never had my loyalty." I spat. "my only loyalty is to myself and to my family."

He struck me across the face and slammed my head against the wall by my hair.

"I raised you! I took you in and trained you to be strong! The only reason you are still alive is because of me!" he yelled.

"so now you're just going to kill me." I said as I spit blood and felt some run down from my hairline.

"oh, no. I am going to enjoy this. They will pay for operation pack mule." Saleem said.

"why does that matter? It was 17 years ago." I said. I had to keep him talking.

"yes, but I want the men responsible, brought to justice. My men, took deals from the U.S. government to give secrets of my organization for citizenship." he said. "I am going to show your government that they were stupid in doing so. They cannot just buy us over. We have a cause worth fighting for."

Suddenly it hit me. "big bang, a bomb...you're going to frame them by creating a mass terrorist attack..."

"very good Husam. Perhaps I did not fail completely." he smirked.

"it'll never work. You'll be stopped." I said as I started to feel light headed again.

"ah, and who would stop me? Your NCIS and FBI friends?" he snorted with laughter. "Gibbs could not even kill me with a sniper rifle 17 years ago. I cannot be stopped."

With that he put the knife back in it's sheath. "You were foolish in thinking that you could stop me. Now, you must die too." he said. "but I have one last surprise for you which you will have to wait to see for a short time."

"here. You look a little uncomfortable." he sneered as he cut the bindings on my wrists. "you won't be able to move for awhile anyway."

He jabbed a syringe into my wrist and a cear fluid traveled into my veins it felt cold. With that he went up the steps that seemed to come out of nowhere. Once the door closed, I was in semi-darkness. I had to be in a basement of some sort. I felt like I had been run over by a truck. I had no pain medication so I was almost hazy with pain but I was starting to feel numb. I had to move fast. I scooted my way over to the opposite wall as best as I could. There was a large, boxlike object with a tarp over it in the corner. I lifted it carefully and saw a wooden crate but the lid wasn't bolted on. There were no markings or anything else to possibly tell me what lay inside. I cautiously pushed the lid up an inch. I saw wires but none as a trigger for whoever opened the box. I pushed it up further and was shocked. There once was a time that I would've stared in wonderment but not now. Now I just got a sick feeling in my stomach. This was a massive bomb. I've seen one in action. It was a downgraded version of the bombs that the U.S. military would use if an outbreak of a dangerous biological agent should happen. It was made to vaporize everything in a 1 mile radius but something was different. I just didn't know what. I went to try and difuse it but my arms wouldn't obey me. They flopped to my side and my legs went limp. My head started to swim and again, I faded into the dark...

A/N: REVIEW! please! It will make me move a bit faster...


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Reunion

A/N: Enjoy and Review!

**1 hour, 21 minutes left**

"whatcha got Abs?" Gibbs asked as he strode into the lab.

"Gibbs! So good to hear you say that! Well, not under these circumstances since we're looking for Tony and Ziva's son but I also miss you, not that Tony..." she was stopped by Gibbs's index finger covering her lips.

"whatcha got Abbs?" he said again.

"ok, so we've been trying to trace the transmission but it's really, really hard. I mean this guy knows what he's doing because even I don't know what he's doing and..."

"Abby." Gibbs said again and she stopped.

"how many caf POWs have you had today?" He asked.

"oh, just the usual...2 or 3...or 7." she said sheepishly as she fidgeted with her hands.

"alright. To the point." Gibbs said. Then a ding was heard throughout the room.

"BOSS I GOT HIM!" McGee yelled triumphantly.

"where?" Gibbs yelled.

"well, I mean it's actually only about a twenty mile radius but I have a theory..." McGee trailed off.

"a theory.." Gibbs growled.

"we...well, I..I..I" he stumbled. "I think he's where we least expect him to be which is where we hope or expect him to be..." he said.

"and where would that be exactly Tim?"

"in one of our safe houses."

"one of ours?" Gibbs asked.

"well, unfortunately the radius includes part of a relatively suburban area in a pretty seedy part of Anacostia in which there is one NCIS safe house, three FBI, one C.I.A., and two Mossad. Not to mention the fact that..."

"the fact that what?"

"well, I could be wrong." McGee said.

"so we have nothing." Gibbs said frustrated. Then another ding was heard.

"Oh My God! Hits on two of the Bolos on the terrorists!" Abby said.

"one in Baltimore, and one right outside Quantico. The first was about an hour ago and the second only 10 minutes ago." she smiled widely. "one carrying weapons, and is being trailed but they lost the first one. FBI is in control."

"ok good Abs." Gibbs said. "for now we'll assume McGee's theory is right. Get Fornell's guys some addresses, get our team some, and the FBI the rest. First we do minor surveillance then we swoop in."

"on it boss." McGee and Abby chimed as they high fived each other.

Gibbs started walking out the door but he turned in the doorway. "have you seen Tony and/or Ziva?"

"Not for awhile." Abby bit her lip.

"find them. I figured they wanted to help get their kid back." and with that he was gone with a ding of the elevator.

"where do we start looking Tony?" I asked. I felt stupid asking but what else was I to say?

"I don't know. But first we get coffee." he said as we walked through the rainy, and fairly desolate D.C. streets. It was almost like the night we met.

"coffee Tony? Really?" I asked. It sounded stupid as well, but then again it made all the sense in the world.

We continued walking hand in hand and finally reached the coffee shop. It was empty which was surprising. There was a lone barista playing with his phone at the counter.

"2 Lattes." Tony said to the man but he still hadn't looked up. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. My "ninja senses" as Tony called them were tingling.

"Tony." I said softly. Then I noticed another employee sweeping the floor by the door.

"hmm?" he turned and looked at me.

"Tony something is not..." I stopped talking as the man behind the counter pulled out a gun and the other man locked the doors and took out a gun as well. They were both Middle Eastern. Terrorists that were involved with Saleem.

"what Ziva?" he asked slightly annoyed as I wouldn't answer him.

"Ziva here will not talk unless she wants her son to die right in front of her." The man said as he flicked his head up towards the tv screen. I could barely make out a figure slumped against a wall because the picture was that awesome.

Tony slowly turned and tried to discreetly reach for his gun.

"ah, ah, ah." the man by the door said as he started walking forward. Then I saw that their guns were just dart guns which were possibly worse. They were taking us alive.

Then the men fired their guns. Tony and I both fell to the floor. He gave me a worried yet reassuring look as my vision got blurry and then I blacked out.

**1 hour left**

"something isn't right Tim." Abby sighed desperately.

"why?" McGee asked still not looking away from the computer monitor.

"rule #3." she said while looking at him anxiously.

He finally looked at her and realized the magnitude of the situation. If they couldn't reach Tony and Ziva... He didn't want to think about.

"Abby, they're probably just out for coffee or something." He said trying to calm her down.

"while their son, that they've never met, is missing?" Abby threw her hands up and let them drop again for emphasis as she started pacing the floor.

"well, they could be looking." McGee said turning to face her.

"where would they start McGee? I left messages telling them to call me because I had a lead but they never called back." she said.

McGee didn't know what to say. He was getting worried too.

"I really don't like this." Abby sighed again.

Then Gibbs jogged in.

"Abby! Run traces on Tony's and Ziva's phones now! Tony's car was found in front of the coffee shop. No one was there, cameras and security were disabled." he rushed and took a position beside Abby leaning into the computer.

Abby and McGee were typing away hurriedly.

"Tony's phone is off." McGee concluded after a moment.

"Ziva's too." Abby said. "This is really not good."

"keep trying to trace that video feed." Gibbs said and hurried out to the elevator.

"what are you gonna do?" Abby called after him but he was already gone.

**45 minutes left**

"Ziva..." Tony said groggily. He squinted, letting his eyes adjust to the small amount of light. He felt terrible. His head hurt and moving took ridiculous amounts of energy. He had been drugged on top of the sedative in the dart guns.

"I'm here Tony." he heard say weakly. "they've given us something."

"I know." I replied. I could barely make out her figure chained to a pole opposite mine. We were both sort of slumped against our poles.

Then it occurred to me that there was a third pole. I had seen this place before, on the video. The figure slumped against the third pole was only being barely held up by the handcuffs attached at the base of the pole behind his back. He wasn't moving but I could barely see his chest rise and fall.

"Tony..." Ziva said as she arrived at the same conclusion I had.

"Ziva," I said. My voice choked up a little.

"I think it's him." She said. She sounded on the verge of tears.

"I think so too." I said. I swiveled around the pole trying to reach the figure.

I managed to kick his foot a little. The figure stirred.

"ehh...come on. Haven't you done enough? Quit kicking." he slurred and sat up a little.

I couldn't believe it.

**(Anthony's PoV)

I felt my leg moving. That was weird. Last I knew I couldn't move anything. Then I heard voices. There were other people down here with me. I sat up a little upon realizing that I could now move a little.

I opened my eyes to see two people tied to poles like I was but the box containing the bomb in the corner was gone.

"Anthony..." I heard a feminine voice whisper into the dusty darkness.

I didn't really know what to say. Then my eyes started to adjust a little more and I could make out facial features. I connected the dots. Saleem wanted my parents for something. He captured them too.

"mom..." I said softly.

"Anthony is that really you?" I heard a much deeper voice ask.

"yeah." I managed to get out.

We were quiet, just taking it all in.

"so he got you too." I said.

"yeah." Tony said.

"well, we're really in a cucumber yes?" I said. That didn't sound right.

They both laughed.

"it's pickle." Ziva said, still laughing.

"hey you actually got it sweet cheeks." Tony chuckled.

We quieted.

"are you ok?" Ziva asked softly.

"uhm.." I assessed my wounds. My bullet wounds didn't compare to my shoulder but I would live as long as nothing got infected and I didn't O.D. on whatever they kept knocking me out with. "yeah. I'm good."

"do you know where we are?" Tony asked.

"No, they drugged me up as soon as they captured me. But," I looked around. "if I had to guess, we are in a basement. Probably in an older district but not historical. Water damage on the walls...it could also be a government owned building..." I trailed off.

"Gibbs will find us." Tony said.

I smiled. I knew I could trust that guy.

Then the door swung open and I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"I doubt that Special Agent DiNozzo." Saleem sneered.

"whoa, time hasn't been too good to you has it buddy." Tony smiled. "by the way, long time no see."

"shut up!" Saleem yelled and slapped him across the face.

He then walked over to my mother. I knew what he did to her all those years ago. I saw how she stiffened at the mere sight of him.

"Hello, Ziva." he smiled maliciously as he swung his hand back to strike her too but at the last second he stopped and stroke her cheek. I could tell she wanted to shrink away but she was trying to stay strong for me.

"Don't touch her!" Tony yelled and fought against his bindings.

"ahh, there was the reaction I was looking for." Saleem said. Then he took his knife out of his sheath and held it to my throat again. I felt the cool metal against my jugular. If my heart beat any harder then the blood flow would make the blade pierce it and kill myself.

He started sliding but he wasn't putting quite enough pressure. He was trying to get a rise out of them.

"Stop!" Ziva yelled. "kill me!"

Saleem stopped pulling the blade.

"I do not intend on killing Anthony this way anymore. I have a much better plan." He smiled. I wanted to throw up.

"so what is your plan?" Tony asked.

"As you Americans say, that is for me to know and for you not to find out, but do not worry. Mercy will be involved." he smirked and cut my bonds. He forced me to stand on shaky legs and shoved a gun into my back.

"walk." he barked and pretty much dragged me to the stairs where he pushed me up.

"No!" Tony yelled.

I barely heard two 'I love yous.' before Saleem shut the door.

It occurred to me that I would probably never see them and I felt a twinge in my heart. At least they would probably live. Gibbs would find them. My job was done.

He took out a cell phone and dialed.

"proceed." he said then he looked at me with a smile that made my gut churn once more. "we are on our way." and with that he snapped the phone shut and he shoved me out the door.

**27 minutes left**(7:00 PM)

Gibbs walked out onto the wet streets of D.C. not far from where Tony's car had been found. He walked a short ways until he found the car he was looking for. A black sedan with tinted windows and government plates was along the curb.

He walked over and opened the 2nd door on the passenger side and got in. The car had a dark, leather interior. The inside of the car itself was dark as well. The occupants wouldn't be able to be identified if Gibbs hadn't already known who was inside.

"what do you want?" the deep, accented voice asked from the opposite side. There were two men in the front of the car and the driver started up the street.

"to know what you know." Gibbs replied after a short time of silence.

"I do not know what you're talking about." the older man waved off.

"I don't have time for this." Gibbs's temper started to flare. "your daughter, my agent, and your grandson are missing and I know for a fact that you can trace your daughter at any given moment."

"tracking chips are not Mossad protocol." he said.

"Mossad no. Overprotective, high-strung, manipulative, and influential father yes." Gibbs growled.

There was silence for awhile until Eli sighed.

"I have a way." Eli finally said. He took out a small cell phone looking device. He pressed a button and it lit up. He handed it to Gibbs.

The car stopped at a corner. Gibbs opened the door and got out with the device in his hands but he didn't shut the door.

"you can't really tell me your not concerned about finding them." Gibbs said.

Eli David just gave him a look that told him all he needed to know and shut the door. The car sped off into the early night.

Gibbs ripped out his phone and dialed.

"McGee! You were right! He's in a safe house. I'm sending you Ziva's and possibly Anthony's and Tony's locations. Get a team there now. I'm on my way." with that he hung up and ran around the corner to where his car was parked. He floored the charger through the empty streets. He was going to find them. He was just hoping that he wasn't too late.

A/N: I'm uploading quickly! Review for all my hard work...?


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Big Bang

A/N: I know it's short but another chapter is coming soon. Review!

P.S. Hope you all had a wonderful turkey day for those of you who are from the U.S. And even if you don't celebrate it, Happy Reading.

**24 minutes left**

"Abby! Gibbs got an address on Tony and Ziva. He thinks that Saleem's guys got them." McGee said as he holstered his gun and got his badge out of his desk.

"Oh my gosh! Tim you have to rescue them!" Abby said. "and don't die!" she called after him.

**15 minutes left**

Gibbs, McGee, and Tony's team led the SWAT team and encircled the house.

Gibbs put his back to the wall right next to the door with his gun at the ready and looked in for a moment. He signaled clear to McGee who kicked down the door. The swat team moved in.

"Federal Agents! Show Yourselves!" McGee yelled but no one came out.

He and Gibbs ran through the abandoned house.

There was a chorus of clears and everyone slowed to investigate.

"Gibbs look at this." McGee said as he pointed to the blood stains leading from under a door and into the kitchen.

"here we go." Gibbs said and kicked down the door. He and McGee rushed in to find Tony and Ziva tied to poles.

"Boss!" Tony yelled. Gibbs ran over and cut through Ziva's bindings while McGee did Tony's.

"Gibbs he took Anthony awhile ago but we don't know exactly when." Ziva said as she already started up the stairs.

"Ziva..." Tony started as he went to follow her but Gibbs's phone rang.

"Gibbs. Those three terrorists went and shot three U.S. Citizens that were Palestinians and suspected low ranking terrorists. We gave them citizenship for information. Information that you guys used to go rescue Ziva 17 years ago." Fornell said hurriedly. "then they killed themselves except one of the men, Karim Otaq tried to run but we caught him. Unfortunately we had to shoot him to get him but he'll live. They're on their way to D.C. mercy now."

"we'll be there in 10." Gibbs said.

"Saleem's plan is starting and we have one in custody. He'll know what's going on and how to stop Saleem. We have to get to D.C. Mercy." Gibbs said as they all ran to the charger.

Tony barely had time to shut the door before Gibbs floored it and they sped off.

"Gibbs! Do you think you could slow down just a little?" McGee yelled as he held on for dear life.

"shut it McSonless!" Tony yelled. "come on Gibbs only 90?" Tony wanted to strangle that terrorist for the information he needed.

Then Gibbs pushed the pedal down further. McGee's eyes widened the farther the needle went into the red zone. Gibbs swerved and weaved through cars. The team heard a symphony of car horns and unfortunate crunches as metal hit metal before they were a minute away.

"8 minutes and 21 seconds bossman. New record." Tony laughed as they pulled into the parking lot.

Then Ziva saw the sign and connected the dots. D.C. Mercy.

"Mercy." Ziva whispered. "Tony! Saleem said mercy would be involved!"

Then the whole world seemed to slow as a huge fireball erupted in front of them. The hospital was engulfed in smoke, fire, and flying debris but was still standing.

"NOO!" Tony and Ziva both yelled as they jumped out of the car before it had even stopped moving.

"damn!" Gibbs yelled as he stopped the car with a screech and started running after them.

"McGee! Call Fornell!" Gibbs yelled and continued running.

He finally caught up to Ziva and Tony. He grabbed them both and tried to stop them before they got themselves killed but they wouldn't stop. He grabbed Ziva around the waist but as he was doing that Tony got away and kept running.

Then the right side of the hospital was blown to pieces as another explosion ripped through it.

"I'M NOT LEAVING HIM AGAIN!" Tony turned to face Gibbs and yelled as he continued running. "I can't lose him!"

"DINOZZO!" Gibbs yelled after him as Ziva kept trying to fight him.

Tony was fighting through the crowd and the police to get in there.

"sir! Stop!" a fireman yelled but Tony paid him no heed.

He had just disappeared inside the entrance that people were evacuating through when their world shook once more. People were screaming as another huge fireball erupted from what was left of the building.

"NOO! TONY!" Ziva yelled as a mixture of tears and smoke burnt her eyes.

"NOO! Not again!" She yelled and went limp in Gibbs arms. She balled bits of his shirt up in her fist as he just held her and carried her quickly back to the charger. The strongest woman he had ever known just broke in his arms.

Gibbs looked back at the once massive building that was now just a blur of black, grey, orange, and red. Firemen, police, bomb squads, and EMTs were already on the scene and were ushering survivors out to other ambulances and hospitals.

His heart broke as he heard a sound he had never ever wanted to hear. A mother mourning for her child.

"Oh DiNozzo..." Gibbs whispered to himself as he realized that the agent that was like a son to him was gone and so was his son.

A/N: Review!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: the truth

A/N: alrighty then. Almost done. Here's another actiony chapter seeing as I got a good response out of the last one. Hope you enjoy it! Btw, I do not know how to make or diffuse a bomb and I'm definitely not going to google it. I just left out a lot of detail.

**12 minutes left**

"are we there yet?" I asked for the umpteenth time in the last ten minutes. After we left the house, Saleem had put a hood over my head and shoved me into a car. He had rebound my hands and feet so escaping was out of the question.

"are we there yet?" I asked again when I got not answer.

"are we..." then the car screeched to halt. Saleem ripped the hood off of my head and I was almost blinded by the new source of light.

"shut up! You...you...little imbecile!" he yelled and pushed me back into the, what I now saw as disgusting, cloth upholstery. He was choking me but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me choke for air so I held my breathe. I was feeling light headed when he finally let go and put the hood back on but my mission was accomplished. I got a good look at where we were. We were in the back of a hospital. The doors said D.C. Mercy.

I heard the door open and close as I felt Saleem's weight shift and finally leave the car. I leaned over to the right side until my head hit the glass. I went farther down to find the base of the door. Then I felt a small compartment. I went too far. I went back up right to where the glass met the rest of the door then I traveled forward. My nose hit a small metal cylinder. It was an old car and this was the lock mechanism. I took it as best as I could with my mouth covered by the hood. I couldn't quite get it with my front teeth so I turned my head and gripped it between my molars. Man this was an old car that the owner did not really care about. I pulled up and I finally heard the tumbler fall. My mouth was traveling downward to find the handle when the door swung open.

"oh, Husam." Saleem said as he made a clicking noise with his tongue. "so close." I could hear the smile and I wanted to punch him.

"now be a good boy." he said as he dragged me out of the car and shoved me onto something. It felt like a gurney. My theory was confirmed when Saleem strapped me in and took the hood off. He was dressed as a doctor. I felt bad for the poor soul those clothes used to belong to because I knew he had no use for them now. He threw a white sheet over my body and put the gun under the sheet right to my head.

He pushed me up a ramp and I heard the swoosh of automatic doors open and close as we passed through. He pushed me for awhile then we stopped. I heard a ding and we started again. I felt my stomach lift as I realized we were in an elevator. I heard another ding and an automated voice. "4th floor" it said and we started moving again.

He wheeled me into a room and shut the door. He then pulled back curtains and ripped the sheet off. The room was stark white with a single hospital bed, a supply chest, and a small window. He took the bindings off of my ankles.

"our journey ends here." he smirked. "the bombs are planted in various locations in the hospital. They are set to go off very soon."

"bombs? As in plural?" I asked as he paced in front of me. What he didn't know was that a knife from the back of his car was in my waistband. I got my hand on it and started sawing at the bindings but I had to be careful not to cut my back open.

"oh yes! You only saw one of three!" he smiled and checked his watch. "oh! It looks like visiting time is over." he said and walked over to the door. He opened it and went to leave but he paused.

"I wish I did not have to do this my son, but you gave me no choice." he said almost with sadness in his voice an eyes. 1

"I am not your son!" I spit. "and there's always a choice." I said much more softly. The binding was almost cut.

"but that is where you are wrong." and with that he walked back to me and shut the door. 2

"Hope is nothing. It will get you nowhere. You must face the reality." he said like I was a child again and he was trying to be my friend. "Something your father always had trouble with." 3

I sprung up with a surprising amount of energy and punched him in the face. He started to go for his gun but I tackled him into the wall. I heard the air leave his lungs at the force and went to stab him while my other hand was around his throat but he was quick. He grabbed my wrist with the hand that wasn't holding my throat and tried to force the knife from my hand.

My vision started to get darker as he pushed harder and I was losing my grip on his throat. Finally the knife fell from my hand and he pushed me back. I fell onto the bed and he came at me with his gun but I kicked out from the bed and knocked it out of his hands. Then I launched off of the bed with my feet leading the way into Saleem's stomach. He fell back onto the floor. I started at him but he kicked my legs out from under me and I fell to the floor as well. He reached for the gun as I reached for the knife. I heard a shot and felt a whitehot searing pain shoot through my shoulder as I landed the knife into Saleem's throat. He was dead instantly. I got up gingerly and assessed my wound. Of course he shot the one with the huge open stab wound. I couldn't move that arm without almost passing out in pain so I grabbed the gun and put it in my waistband along with the bloodied knife. I ran out of the room and down the hall, passing a few curious doctors and nurses until I found a fire alarm by the stairwell and set it off. I kept running and tried to think of where the bombs would be. I was on the fourth floor of a 6 floor hospital. 3 main wings on the bottom 3. The main entrance was in-between the West wing and the center wing on the ground floor.

One had to be on the third floor. Saleem taught me how to plant bombs. There was one in the east wing on the 2nd floor and one in the west wing on the first floor. That way the whole building would go down. No survivors.

Suddenly I was thrown sideways as the first bomb went off. I was thrown up onto the wall before I was tossed back down like a rag doll. I was lucky though that I didn't fall through the giant hole that was now in the floor just inches from where I landed. Judging by the blast, the bomb was almost directly on the floor below me.

I started running again. The ceiling was falling and I scrambled for cover but the only thing I could do was keep running and hope to not get hit. The halls were destroyed and the floor started crumbling beneath me. I kept running and was just about to jump a hole when the floor where I was launching off of, gave way. I was falling but then I caught myself as my hands found something to hold onto in what used to be a floor.

"AAHHH!" I yelled out in pain as I was hanging by my bad arm as well as my good arm. I couldn't fall. The hole below me stretched all the way down to the 2nd floor right into about 6 feet of leaping flames. I started to swing back and forth using my legs to really get me going. I had to get this timing perfect but the bit of cement I was holding on to was starting to crumble. I leaped at the last possible second before the cement gave way and fell into the inferno.

I landed on my side on another cement ledge. My chest hurt and I considered the possibility of a couple broken ribs but I picked myself up. I was now on the third floor. This bomb already went off. I had to get to the others and diffuse them.

I headed to the right climbing over debris and jumping over holes. The stairs should still be standing here and then I had a straight shot to the bomb. I kept going until I found the charred door to the stairwell and went in. They were relatively stable but it didn't matter because I was pretty much just jumping down the flights until I saw the 2nd floor door and pushed through it. I only had to run a little ways and had only a few obstacles in my way other than the growing fire and holes in the ceiling before I found the bomb. This one was larger than the first. I took out the knife and checked the timer. 23 seconds. "oh boy." I said.

I quickly started finding the origins of each wire and what they did. 12 seconds left.

It was down to the blue or red wire. I had sweat on my brow but I couldn't wipe it away.

8

7

I cut the blue wire but nothing happened. I was sure it was the blue wire! This bomb was going to explode no matter what. It had an internal fuse.

6

I started running as fast as I possibly could.

5

4

3

2

1

The bomb exploded with a fury I wasn't expecting. I felt the shock wave throw me into another wall. I hit my head and almost passed out again. I sat up and tentatively touched a cut on my forehead. It stung and I felt some more blood coming from my hairline but it wasn't life threatening. I stumbled my way away from the fire and towards the west wing.

Then more debris rained down upon my head. A chunk of cement managed to hit me and I fell. I tried to pull myself up but my body wouldn't obey me. I was starting to black out. I couldn't go on no matter how hard I tried. This was how it was it going to end. I met my parents and they loved me. My mission in life was accomplished. I figured out who I really was. I wasn't just some psychopathic terrorist. I was just a kid that wanted to save the most important thing to him at all costs. His family.

The darkness was closing in. It had almost completely consumed me when I heard their voices.

"I love you Anthony." I heard the soft loving voice of my mother.

"everything will be ok buddy." I heard the strong yet kind voice of my father.

Then there was a bright flash and another bang as I drifted away into the darkness.

***(Tony's PoV when entering hospital)

I had to get to him before it was too late. I had to find him. I ran through the entrance and a short ways into what I assumed was once the main reception.

Suddenly, the third bomb went off to my left and I was thrown to the ground as I was engulfed in a mixture of dust and smoke. I stood and walked further to my left into the major wreckage. Amazingly some of the second floor was still standing even with all the weight of the floors above it relying on it.

I heard a loud crackling noise and looked up to see a crack making it's way through the ceiling.

"oh god." I said just before the ceiling gave way. I dove out of the way but was still hit by some of it.

I was stuck in a coughing fit as I tried to uncover myself. I finally succeeded and stood. I looked around me. The entrance was gone. The only thing around me was fire, cement, metal rods, and smoke.

Then I saw a body. A human hand in the rubble that had fallen from the ceiling. I raced over and started digging him out. I uncovered his chest and head, then finally his legs. I pulled him out as gently as I could. I recognized our shared facial features and Ziva's dark hair. It was him. He wasn't moving.

I laid him down on the flattest surface I could find and checked his pulse. Faint, but there.

"COME ON BUDDY! DON'T LEAVE ME!" I yelled as I picked him up in a fireman's hold and started looking for a way out but there was nothing. We were trapped. I put Anthony down because I couldn't hold him for much longer and to see if there was any sort of way.

"no." I said softly.

"no!"

"NO."

"NOO!" I yelled and started letting myself go on the rubble.

After I calmed, I saw a hint of light thrugh the rubble. A small glimmer of hope ignited in my chest. I started digging again and finally pushed my way through a fairly good sized hole.

I went back and checked his pulse. I wasn't completely sure if it was there or not but I could get him help now. I picked him up and slid him through the hole. I followed and picked him up again. I began stumbling out to the parking lot.

"ZIVA!" I yelled. "ZIVA I GOT HIM!" I kept yelling.

Then I saw her running towards us with a team of paramedics hot on her heels.

***Ziva's PoV

They were gone. Everything I ever really cared about was gone. Tali, Ari, Tony, Anthony. My family was gone.

"Ziva!" I heard faintly. It sounded like Tony's voice. I thought I was hearing things until I heard it some more but louder.

"Ziva! I got him!" then I saw a figure with another figure slumped over his shoulder making his way through the settling dust.

"TONY!" I yelled and started running. The paramedics already saw them and started following me.

I got to them and immediately hugged them.

"ma'am we need to help them." one of the paramedics said urgently and I released them.

"I think he's still alive. He's been through hell plus he's been shot probably about 30 minutes ago." Tony huffed. They took Anthony from him and loaded him onto a stretcher. The ambulance pulled up and they loaded him in. We immediately went to get in when the paramedics stopped us.

"ma'am I'm sorry but you being in here will only hinder our ability to help him. He's going to Bethesda Naval Hospital." the young paramedic said and shut the doors. The sirens turned on and we were left staring after the ambulance.

A/N: ok, chapter 12 (the final chapter) will not be in the time estimate I gave a few chapters ago and I am sorry for that but I think you'll forgive me once you read it. ;P


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Family

A/N: jk I did get this done on time. This is officially the last chapter of the story. (Perhaps...) The original version was no where near this long and didn't have this ending but thanks to you guys this was the product.

P.S. Whoa...at the amount of reviews and alerts...

Disclaimer: No. Would you like to crush my dreams a little more? Btw I don't own anything Toy Story either.

"What's the status on Anthony Jethro DiNozzo?" Tony ran in yelling at the reception.

"I'm sorry we don't have any patients by that name." the receptionist said.

"Husam Muti Ulman." Gibbs barked.

"no." she said.

"kid brought in from D.C. Mercy bombing. Gun shot wound. Already pretty beat up." Tony said.

"oh, yes John Doe 3." the receptionist said. "he is currently in surgery and listed as critical. The doctor will inform you of his condition once they're done. You can wait in the waiting room but If you were in the explosion, it's protocol that you get checked out."

"DiNozzo go get checked out in the ER." Gibbs said and he complied after kissing Ziva reassuringly.

"he's not John Doe 3 anymore. His name is Anthony Jethro DiNozzo, previously Husam Muti Ulman. He was in yesterday with gunshot wounds." Gibbs said.

"the terrorist?" she asked harshly.

"no, he's not a terrorist. He's a hero." McGee said looking at Ziva who had a small smile on her lips.

Gibbs stayed with Ziva as they filled in Anthony's information while McGee went for coffee. They all met back up in the waiting room.

"Doc says I got a concussion, some minor abrasions, and I'm dehydrated but otherwise ok." Tony said as he came in and sat next to Ziva. He took her hand and they just looked at each other. Gibbs rolled his eyes at their eye conversation and sipped his coffee.

"any news?" Abby asked as she ran into the waiting room with a massive caf pow!

"no, he's in surgery now." McGee said as she hugged him tightly.

"this shouldn't be happening. We just got him back." she said sadly.

Everyone else took a seat.

"how many people got out?" Tony asked Gibbs after awhile.

"thanks to Anthony for the gunshot sound they were about to go into lock down but then he pulled the fire alarm. All patients on the bottom 3 were evacuated by the time the 2nd bomb hit. The fourth, fifth, and sixth were all partially evacuated but they didn't have as many patients as the bottom three floors. That was mostly for long term patients. They pulled out 13 survivors from the wreckage. They estimated about 90 are still missing and probably dead. Anthony saved about 260 patients plus their families." Gibbs said. "Fornell is taking over from here."

Everyone was silent. The only sound that could be heard was the ticking clock. Time felt so slow, Tony began pacing after a couple of hours and then sat back down after another couple. There were multiple coffee refills and bathroom breaks.

Ziva was exhausted and Tony could tell. He was too. Tony put his arm around Ziva and leaned in closer while nudging her to do the same. She laid he head back against his shoulder. She was asleep almost immediately. Tony kissed her cheek softly an gently leaned his head on hers.

What they couldn't see was that Abby was smiling so hard that McGee thought her face would really stick that way.

***(Tony's PoV)

"questions are being asked in town about missing NCIS agents, concerned, that U.S. forces might mobilize. One of you, will give me the identities and locations of operatives in the area, and the other one will die." Saleem ripped off the hood and there she was. Ziva. She looked terrible. I could only imagine what she had been through.

"I will give you a moment to decide who lives." he said and walked away.

"so, how was your summer?" I asked. Whoa. Deja vu. This wasn't like my usual nightmares when we were too late to save her. This felt so much more...real.

She was silent for a moment.

"out of all the people in the world, who could have found me, it had to be you." She said without breaking eye contact. We could still communicate with our eyes but it was harder to decipher.

"you're welcome. So are you glad to see me?" I smiled. I missed her so much.

"you should not have come." she said shortly.

"alright. Good catching up. Oh oh yeah I forgot! Taken prisoner." I said as I tried to get up and fell back down dramatically.

"are you alright, McGee?" She asked. She clearly wasn't ready for my attempts at humor.

"I'm just glad that you're alive." he said from his place on the floor.

"you thought I was dead?" She sounded surprised.

"oh, oh yeah." I said. I couldn't bear the flashbacks of the drunken nights with Gibbs's boat and the empty, heartbroken feeling I had for all that time.

"then why are you here?"

"well, McGee, McGee didn't think you were dead.." I started to squirm a little. She was getting dangerously close to a question I was afraid to answer.

"Tony. Why, are you here?" She asked.

So I told her the truth. "couldn't live without you I guess."

Her face relaxed slightly. "so you will die with me. You should've left me alone."

"ok tried, couldn't, you should know I've taken some kind of truth serum so if there's any questions you don't want to know the answer to.." I shook my head.

"I did not ask anyone to put themselves in harms way for me. I do not deserve it." She said.

"so uh, what are you doing out here? Some kind of monastic experience? Doing penance?" I asked.

"it is justified." She said.

"get over yourself." I said seriously. She had to wake up and realize that this was real.

"I have. Now you tell Saleem everything you want to hear, and you try to save yourselves. I am ready to die." she said. That sad thing was that I knew she was.

"that's not how it works." McGee spoke up.

"how what works?" She asked.

"the plan." I smiled.

"you have an escape plan?" I asked in surprise.

He clicked his tongue and winked in response.

"Tony, they have 30 men, heavily armed. Anti tank, anti aircraft weapons. What do you have?"

"well that's where things get a little tricky." I said.

**(little flashback in ToC)

"wait, so you got captured, on purpose?"

"mhhm." I said.

"These men, are killers. Tony." She said.

"I know. That's why we have to stay alive long enough to not get dead."

"that would involve being rescued." I said.

"yes it would." I nodded.

"how long will it take?"

"I don't know. How long do you think I've been talking?"

"so what's the plan?" She hissed.

"well, we fail to contact Dubai, word gets to the carrier group in the Med. and they scramble after like two raptors that burn sand into glass. How long that's gonna take, I don't know. Hours or days." I said. "Ziva, can you fight?"

She was about to answer when Saleem walked back in.

"oh hey Saleem. What's all the commotion?"

"we are moving out." he said quickly.

"oh good I was getting a little tired of this place." I said.

"we are not taking prisoners."

"oh it was nice talking to you then."

"we are not done yet." Saleem yanked her hair up and held a knife to her throat. The moment he died was going to be the best of my life.

"if they do not check in, their people will come looking for them." She said.

"Ziva shut up!" I said. She was not going to ruin this. I knew what I had to do this time.

"kill me, you'll need the Americans for leverage."

"I don't make bargains. Plus, the torture will end if you die. Living with the guilt of his death..." he was saying. That's when I knew for a fact that this was happening to fix everything.

"do you make pizza?" I interrupted.

"huh?" Saleem was confused.

Then McGee kicked out making Saleem fall. McGee reached for his knife but Saleem was faster and held a gun to McGee.

"Stop, Stop!" I yelled. "there's something I haven't told you yet!"

Saleem got up without taking the gun from McGee's direction.

"and what is that?"

"well, I've told you about the brains, I've told you about the guts, the muscle, the scientist, the politician, the leader. I've told you about every member of the team except myself. The part I play." I said quickly.

"yeah, which is?"

"I'm the wildcard, I'm the guy that sees the reality in front of him and refuses to accept it. I mean like right now I should be terrified but I'm not, 'cause I can't stop thinking about the movie True Lies. Where Arnie's strapped to the chair shot full of truth serum, he breaks out of his cuffs and kills everyone. You have 30 seconds to live Saleem."

"no. You're still bound. You're lying." he said.

"I can't lie remember. And I never said I was gonna be the one to kill ya. Remember when I told you my boss was a sniper?" I said.

"whooozzz." the glass broke and Saleem fell back. A single bloody hole was in-between his eyes.

"look out!" I yelled as another man rushed in but was shot like Saleem. Showtime.

"alright let's go!" I said. McGee cut me free and he helped pick Ziva up.

"Tony...wait..." Ziva started.

"I know about Anthony Ziva." I said hurriedly.

"wha..." she started again but I cut her off.

"stay with McGee. He'll get you out ok. I'm going to find him." I nodded to McGee who took Ziva's full weight. I started running when McGee stopped me.

"Tony!" he yelled and tossed me the gun. I continued running.

There were two doors coming up. The one on the right burst open with a bang. The man started shooting at me but I shot him once in the arm, making his gun fall to the ground and once in the stomach.

I ran to him and grabbed him by his collar as I knealt by him.

"where's my son?" I yelled.

"Saleem..." was all he said before his body went limp.

He wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. I was getting frantic as I looked around me. He could be anywhere in this desolate town and there's no way we could search it without being killed by terrorists.

Then I heard it. A single cry of a baby.

"Anthony." I said aloud.

He cried again but this time louder and he kept crying.

I pushed my ear against the closed door. He was here. I tried the handle but it was locked. I kicked it down to find a small cot in the corner with a baby in rags on it.

I picked him up carefully, slightly unsure. It really hit me that I was a dad. I was scared. Scared that I couldn't get him out. Scared I would mess up. "shhh buddy. Daddy's here." I whispered.

I heard more gunshots and got over it. I cradled him to my chest and got the gun ready.

There was another body in the hall but I went down the hallway as fast as I dared. I turned the corner where I left Ziva and McGee but they were gone. In their place was Gibbs in his sniper uniform.

"Ziva?" I asked.

"She and McGee went with some of the SEALs back to the plane." he said.

I looked down at my now slumbering son and just smiled. Everything was going to be ok.

"let's go home."

***Ziva's PoV/dream

McGee was carrying me bridal style as 2 more seals that weren't trying to secure the camp, pulled up in a Humv. We were outside the camp quite a ways.

McGee out me down and they ushered us in but I refused.

"wait! We have to wait for Tony and Gibbs!" I said frantically. And possibly my son.

"ma'am our number 1 priority was to get you out. We have another group coming in after us to help them." one of the seals said with a bit of a southern drawl.

"no! We can't leave them. He wouldn't leave me." I said firmly.

"ma'am you're going to compromise everything we've done!" the driver yelled.

"Im not leaving without them." I said again.

McGee knew there was no point in arguing so he got out and stood next to me.

"the lady says we don't go, we don't go." he smiled at me.

We heard distant gunfire and I could tell the seals were getting more nervous with every moment we stayed.

"ma'am that plane is taking off in 6 minutes whether we're on it or not." the southern man said.

"wait just a little bit longer." I pleaded.

Then I saw something. I thought at first it was my imagination but then the blurry figures were getting closer. They were running towards us and I saw one man with a bundle in his arms.

"Tony!" I yelled. I couldn't go to him, because I was so weak from not having food and water for so long.

The men kept running towards us and I recognized Gibbs and 3 more Seals. He got about a yard away when I made my way to him and hugged him tightly.

"I got him, Ziva." he whispered to me. They were the best words I had ever heard in my entire life.

I released him and he put the bundle in my arms. He started squirming and crying.

"Tony..." I whispered. I couldn't hold the tears back and neither could he.

"we need to go!" one of the seals called.

"yeah." Tony said. "let's get you guys home."

And I knew that that was where we were going. Israel was not my home anymore. America, D.C., NCIS was my home.

We loaded into the HumV which was a tight fit but I don't think anyone really cared. I still couldn't believe that I was out. My baby was alive. And Tony forgave me after everything.

We drove back to a makeshift base about 30 minutes away and got checked out by the medical personnel. They gave us fluids and food and cleaned us up.

Gibbs made a quick phone call after everyone was cleared and they drove us out to a cargo plane much like the one we rode to Israel in.

No one said a word the whole way. We loaded into the plane and promptly took off.

Tony was sitting next to me on the uncomfortable benches.

He put his arm around my shoulders and I leaned into his side and put my head on his shoulder. He put his other arm on mine that was cradling Anthony who amazingly, was asleep.

What awkwardness I thought we would have if by some chance I did see him again, was gone. All that mattered was our son.

Tony led me up the stairs of his apartment complex and unlocked his door.

Anthony was being carried in the car seat by Tony that Abby had bought and brought to the office before we arrived.

He turned on the lights and stepped inside. It was relatively clean but it didn't feel the same as when we would have our movie nights.

He walked over to the couch and laughed. I walked over behind him and saw what he saw.

"Abby." we said at the same time with a smile.

The couch was loaded with bags of baby clothes, diapers, formula, and anything else they would possibly need. A bassinet also stood by the couch. Tony put Anthony's carrier down on the coffee table and started going through the bags.

"Tony, do you mind if I...take a quick shower?" I asked. I wanted to wash everything away.

"sure." he said. "Bathrooms through the bedroom."

"are you sure you can handle him?" I asked worriedly. I didn't want to leave him for even a moment.

"yeah. Can't be too hard. Abby also bought about $150 worth of baby and parenting books." He said nervously.

I gave him a small reassuring smile and went to go take a shower. The hot water felt amazing. I stepped out and dried off with a towel that Tony must've brought in. He also brought in an old pair of sweats and an old Ohio state t-shirt. I put them on and stepped out into the living room area.

Tony was sitting on the couch with a lively Anthony. Tony was changed into some sports shorts and a t-shirt. Anthony looked clean and already dressed in his new clothes.

"how is he?" I asked and sat down next to him.

"he's good. Aren't you buddy." Tony said in a soft playful voice.

Anthony just stared up at us, completely content.

"family of Anthony Jethro DiNozzo?" I heard an odd voice say from nowhere.

Suddenly I yanked back to reality.

"Tony,"

"Tony." Ziva shook again.

"what?" he groaned.

"the doctor is here." she said urgently.

Tony jumped up so fast he almost jumped into Gibbs and made him spill his coffee.

Gibbs headslapped him.

"thank you boss I really needed that." Tony said as he calmed down. Gibbs just smiled.

"anyway," the doctor said. He looked very young. "Anthony's heart stopped momentarily in the ambulance but they revived him. From there it was sort of a race against the clock to get him fixed up as soon as possible. Anthony had a few different sedatives in his bloodstream which we pumped out. He managed to rip out all of the stitches from his previous bullet wounds but only two were infected. Then there was the stab wound," the doctor sighed. "it went straight into the joint. It cut apart the capsule and some of the ligaments. We managed to repair the damage and put anchors into his shoulder to keep everything together. The bullet complicated that injury just a little but the knife did so much damage, there really wasn't much for it to do with that. He may have some nerve damage in that arm but we'll know the exact extent of his injuries a but later." he cleared his throat.

"so he's going to be ok?" Ziva asked hopefully.

"well, because of the head trauma and overall trauma inflicted on his body, his heart stopped again during the surgery. He was gone for just over 2 minutes but we got him again and finished up." he looked around slightly uncomfortable. "he slipped into a coma right when we got him into the ICU."

"how long will he be in it?" I asked.

"well, comas aren't really an exact science. It's sort of like a reset button for the body. He could be in it for a couple of hours or he might never wake up."

Tears started streaming down Ziva's face again.

"but," the doctor started to try and comfort her. "overall tests on brain function and activity so far are promising. I doubt this is a permanent state."

"can we see him?" Gibbs asked.

"immediate family only for right now." the doctor said. He turned to lead them but stopped when everyone was following.

"dad." Tony said.

"mom."

"aunt." Abby said.

"uncle." Tim said.

"grandfather." Gibbs said.

The doctor looked skeptical but led them down the hall anyway. They came up on the room and the doctor turned.

"I should warn you, he looks pretty rough." the doctor said sadly and opened the door. I barely noticed that I was holding my breath. Tony took my hand and gave me a reassuring look.

He was right. Anthony's usually olive toned skin was pale with black, blue, and purple splotches everywhere. He had stitches in his forehead. The rest of his wounds were covered by bandages and his hospital gown. The room was silent except for the steady beep of his heart monitor. This was the first time I was actually able to fully see my son in good light.

Tony and I stepped over to the side of his bed. I took his hand in mine. The small bit of warmth his hand provided was comfort. I watched as Tony ran a hand through his slightly wavy and medium length hair. It was a few shades darker than Tony's but lighter than mine. He had Tony's jaw line and overall facial structure. He was average height and muscular. I ran my fingers against his arm and felt the scars of his life. I couldn't even imagine what he had been through. I thought my time in Somalia was hell. He spent 16 years there. Amazingly, he was still alive and found his way back to us.

I felt the warm tear tracks turn cold on my skin. I tried to hold them back and be strong but I just couldn't.

We pulled up chairs and sat around his bed. Waiting and willing for him to wake up.

"Mommy! Daddy!" I yelled as I ran into a foreign room. I was this 5 year old kid yet I had no control over what I did. I was just along for the ride. He looked like me at that age, but happy.

I jumped onto a large bed with two figures slumbering peacefully.

"Mommy... It's Christmas! Get up!" I shook the smaller figure.

"mmm...Anthony. I will get up once your father gets up." she groaned.

"ok! Come on Daddy!" I turned on my knees in-between my parents. They looked much younger, less worry lines, and brighter faces. Even at 7:30 AM Christmas morning.

I kept shaking but he wouldn't respond until he finally rolled over.

"Anthony...5 more minutes." he groaned.

"No!" I pouted. "please...Santa is already in the living room."

"well, that's nice." he closed his eyes again and started settling back into his pillow.

Suddenly both of them bolted upright and pulled guns from their nightstand.

"What's wrong?" I asked innocently from my place on the bed in my buzz lightyear pajamas.

"Anthony stay here." My mom whispered.

They silently crept down the hall of the townhouse and down the stairs until they were almost to where the stairs met the living room.

I didn't listen and followed them. I marveled at how they could communicate without words and move so in sync with the other. I peeked around the corner and saw Santa sitting in the chair by the tv. I couldn't control my excitement. I ran and jumped into his lap.

"Anthony!" My mother yelled as she and my father pointed their guns at the man.

Then Santa pulled down his beard for a moment to speak.

"jeez, calm down DiNozzos it's me." he said.

They relaxed and put their guns down.

"Gibbs why on earth would you ever do something like this?" Mom asked.

"I wanted to give your son a special Christmas but apparently I'm not allowed to." he said and took off his hat.

"Grandpa!" I yelled and hugged him.

"I need coffee." my father yawned.

"already made some." Gibbs said.

"of course you did." Dad smirked.

"mommy, can I go open my presents?" I asked hurriedly.

"presents!" Dad yelled and was immediately wide awake, coffee forgotten. He ran over to the tree and started looking through the presents. I ran over and plopped down on his lap to help him. I heard Gibbs and mom talking but I was too interested in trying to find my presents to really pay attention.

Gibbs chuckled. "looks like you already have your 2nd kid Ziver."

"Gibbs!" she gave him a pointed look. "Tony and I were going to tell him after he opened his presents."

"sorry." he smiled.

"mommy please?" I asked again.

"two baby." she smiled. "we have to wait until Aunt Abby, Uncle Tim, and grandpa Ducky get here."

"Ziva?" Dad asked hopefully.

"two Tony. And no more!" she pointed a finger at him. "and if you open more than two then you will wish you had taken all of the paperclips out of this house!"

He gulped and I laughed.

"what's so funny squirt?" he ruffled my hair.

"you and mommy." I smiled. I had that warm fuzzy feeling again.

"hey! Let's race and see who can get their present unwrapped fastest!" he said with as much anticipation as me.

"ok!" I said and started ripping the paper.

"hey! I didn't say go!" Dad pouted but kept unwrapping.

I giggled. I actually giggled. I don't ever remember giggling before. It felt good. Well better than good really. It felt amazing. I was so happy. Then I was filled with more joy as I unwrapped Woody from Toy Story.

"Woody!" I shouted and jumped up. I tackled my father into a bear hug. "thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He laughed. "go thank your mom too."

I ran into the kitchen and wrapped myself around her legs.

"Thank You mommy!" I smiled as she picked me up on her hip and kissed the side of my head as I looked down at my toy.

"I knew you would like it." she laughed and I wrapped my arms around her neck as she carried me back into the living room.

Then the doorbell rang and she set me down in Gibbs's lap as I showed Gibbs my new toy.

"Anthony!" I heard the woman in all black clothing screech. I looked up just in time for her to swoop in and pick me up. I knew this was my aunt Abby but I felt like I had never met her before.

She hugged me and kissed my forehead as I hugged her back.

"Merry Christmas!" she said and walked over to where Uncle McGee and Grandpa Ducky were wiping the snow from their boots.

"ahh, there's the strapping young lad!" Ducky smiled. My mother smiled and put their coats on the hook.

"Hey Anthony." McGee smiled and handed me a present. My eyes lit up at the prospect of what lay inside.

Abby carried me back to the couch and everyone followed. I unwrapped the box which was of course wrapped in black wrapping paper.

"this one's from me and Abby." McGee smiled.

I finally got the last of the paper off and was able to see what it was. I saw a picture of a Volcano and Fun Science written across the top.

"Boom!" I yelled at the thought of blowing it up. But then a shiver ran down my spine at the thought of the damage I could do with this if I made a few minor adjustments and added a few things.

"McGoo! Please don't turn my kid into a McNerd!" Tony smirked.

"hey! I loved these when I was little." Abby said.

"well if he starts hacking anything before he can ride a bike we'll have a problem." Tony pretended to be serious and took out two packages from under the tree. He handed them to Abby and McGee. He then got everyone else's out and delivered them.

My mother stepped over everything on the floor and sat inbetween my father's outstretched legs.

He kissed her forehead and she kissed him on the lips. He kissed back with a laugh.

"ewww!" I cried. Everyone laughed. Both of my parents looked up.

"Tony are you sure he's yours?" McGee asked.

"of course I'm sure McSonless." Tony said completely serious. He smiled at me.

"DiNozzo men do not say ewww when they are kissing beautiful women." He laughed a little at my disgusted face.

"gross!" I said again. Laughter erupted. My father reached over and dragged me off the couch. My mother put me in her lap and I went for another present.

"you'll learn one day." my father said. "it's in the DiNozzo blood. You'll have so many girls you'll have no idea what to do."

"Dear god. If he turns out to be like you and your father..." Mom trailed off.

"He'll be fine." Gibbs said. "you'll balance him out. Trust me."

I finished unwrapping my next present and held up the t-shirt.

"world's, best, big, brother..." I sounded out.

Everyone was smiling mischievously. I looked up in question at my parents.

"Tony that was supposed to be the last present he opened." my mother whispered.

"oops." my dad smiled.

"well," my mother couldn't hold back her smile and neither could my dad.

"Anthony, you're going to have a little brother or sister in a few months." Dad smiled.

"yay!" I yelled.

Everyone said their congratulations.

"well, Timmy and I have a pretty big announcement too." Abby said nervously.

"probie please tell me you weren't probing without protection." Dad said.

My mom headslapped him and gave him a look that meant, shut up there's a child in the room. I knew what it meant and laughed a little but my five year old self had no idea and just ignored it which was good because I didn't feel like going through the awkward "where do babies come from?" question.

"no," McGee said. "actually, we're getting married!"

"pay down!" My mother yelled in excitement.

Everyone except for Abby and McGee who looked surprised.

"it's pay up Sweet cheeks." Dad said and put a ten dollar bill in her outstretched hand. Everyone else paid her the money which she went to go put in her wallet.

"you were betting on if I said yes?" Abby said.

"no we were betting on when Probalicious here would grow the pair to actually propose." Dad said completely serious. He was still pouting about his lost ten bucks.

"hey!" McGee said, obviously hurt.

"relax Timothy. I had faith in you! I was just hoping you would wait until the New Year." Ducky said.

"Gibbs?" Abby asked.

"valentine's day. It's closer to your 3 year anniversary." he said and took a sip of the coffee my mother had brought him earlier.

"Tony?" McGee asked expectantly.

He looked up from playing with me and my toys. "I lost." he said nervously.

"Tony. What was your guess?" McGee asked again.

"You'd get her pregnant and/or she would ask you." he said quietly.

"Tony!" Abby said in shock but with a little bit of laughter.

My mother came up behind him and headslapped him.

"earrrahhh..." (whatever noise he makes when he gets headslapped.)

My five year old self had no interest but I found it enormously entertaining.

My mother just laughed and was about to walk away when he pulled her down on top of him.

"not getting away that easy my ninja!" he laughed as he tickled her.

"Tony!" she yelled. "the...baby.." she managed in-between fits of laughter.

"oh!" he stopped immediately.

"thank you!" Gibbs said. "and I thought the grab ass you played in the office couldn't get any worse."

They laughed a bit and carried on with whatever conversations. I looked up at my family. It was what I always wanted. It was the family that your everyday teenager took for granted. I would have anything to have gotten this childhood and this family. I wanted to stay here forever but I knew I couldn't. My head was splitting and I was starting to black out. I felt heavy and then, they were gone.

**2 days later**

Suddenly the body I had been fighting to control, woke up and obeyed me. I felt a hand in mine and I gently rubbed my thumb over the top of their hand.

I cracked an eye open and was almost blinded by the bright lights. For a moment I considered being in heaven once I saw everything was white. Then I smelled the antiseptic and unique smell that could only be that of a hospital.

I opened the other eye to see the slightly blurry faces of my parents.

"Anthony.." my mother whispered.

"mom." I croaked. My throat felt raw and dry.

I looked at my smiling father and couldn't help but smile too.

"dad." I said.

"hey buddy." he said with a little laugh.

"water..." I managed to say.

He immediately picked up the pitcher on the table and poured me a glass.

The water was cool and healing. I was washing what was now just bad memories away.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"almost 3 days." My mother said as she cupped my cheek in her hand and kissed my forehead.

"jeez. No wonder I had such a long dream." I said.

"what was it about." My dad asked.

Then Gibbs came in with the entire McGee family in his wake. Everyone was smiling.

"I don't quite remember." I lied. "but I know it was good. Really good." I smiled and looked at my parents relieved and happy faces. In that moment I really believed that everything would be ok.

Maybe that dream could somewhat be close to my reality now. Except I'm 16 and not 5, Ducky was no longer with us, and Abby and Tim are already married. It was still a bit shocking that I had a family. Two people to come home to and make me smile. I knew I was trying to find my parents but really, I found a lot more in this little adventure. I learned that family isn't necessarily blood relations. They were people that cared about what happened to you and you cared about them. They were people that would help you no matter what and always be there to pick you up when you fell. Or in my case, save me from psycho terrorists and dig me out of a destroyed building. For the first time in my life, I was at peace. I felt complete.

A/N: yes I know it's over. Sniffles...sorry I was in the Christmas mood when writing this. Don't you think Tony would be just like a kid with his kids? I thought so plus it was easier to write that way. Also sorry if the dreams were a little confusing. They were separate but on the same story line. Thanks again for all the support, reviews, and alerts. You guys are awesome! Maybe an epilogue if there is enough demand (probably just 1 follow up type thing unless you say you want more) but only if you want an epilogue...so review! :)


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